


Thick Smoke

by MousyCh



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark, Drama, F/M, Family, Magic, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-08-22 23:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 52
Words: 136,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8305594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MousyCh/pseuds/MousyCh
Summary: Among the students at Hogwarts, there is one girl whose story's never been told. Eliza came to Hogwarts to learn magic and make friends but she ends up finding out that she's just as much of a pawn as Harry Potter.





	1. Once Upon a Dark Day

_In Clifden, West Ireland was a house just like any other house built for a large family and hidden between thick trees. It looked like whoever was living there was a very private person with quite a large bank account._  
  
It was a sunny day, that one, which was the first after a long series of gloomy days. A girl about 4 years old with short brown hair and bright green eyes was running in the garden. She was playing with her mother. Ophelia Molley was a woman whose pale green eyes attracted attention right away especially since they were complimented by her long black hair.  
  
They were both smiling happily, playing a game of chase. Everything was perfect. Well, as perfect as it could be. The woman caught her daughter and tickled her, making the little girl laugh loudly.  
  
As the mother was playfully glaring at her daughter, a tree fell down right in front of her house. She stopped playing and took in the change of environment. Dark clouds were slowly moving over the ground, the wind pushing them particularly towards the house.  
She smiled kindly at the child and grabbed her hand. “Honey, let’s go inside.”  
  
They entered the house in a hurry and Ophelia led her daughter upstairs, inside her room. Even for a 4 years old child, she knew something bad was going on. Her mother’s green eyes darkened and fear spread through her entire being. The house seemed to have gotten colder and the bed where the little girl would crawl to sleep with her mother seemed to have lost all comfort.  
  
Once the kid got inside the room, the woman closed the door and locked it. There was only one problem: she didn’t enter.  
  
“Liz trust mommy, alright?”  
  
The child placed her hands on the door and tried to open it. The doorknob wouldn’t budge and the harder she tried, the harder it was getting to unlock it.  
  
“I know it may sound weird but I want you to do something.” The woman mumbled from the other side of the door. Liz nodded and waited. “Under the bed you will find a broom. Did you find it?”  
  
The girl hurried and searched for the supposed object.  
  
“I found it!” She exclaimed happily.  
  
“Good. Now, listen to me closely. Get on it and leave the house.” The woman said firmly.  
  
Lizzy frowned and looked at the mirror. She wasn’t sure what game that was but she did as she was instructed. She got on the broom and walked closer to the window but wasn’t sure what to do next. Even if she waited for the broom to magically fly, nothing happened.  
  
The front door suddenly opened and even the kid could hear a number of people walking through the house.  
  
“I came, just like I promised I would, Ophelia”  
  
His voice was echoing through the whole house even though he wasn’t yelling. It sounded so cold and firm. Whoever that man was, he was intimidating.  
  
Ophelia glared at the stairs before she opened a secret compartment in the wall from the far back of the hall. Her hands were shaking as she grabbed an elongated object that looked like a stick and grasped it. She had to be strong for her daughter. She had been entangled into his web for far too long and she had so many regrets that were still haunting her. That man tainted everything in her life and she didn’t want that to happen to her daughter as well.  
  
The person who got first in the hall was a woman with strange and messy hair and with a terrible expression on her face. She was content and cocky, in a bad way.  
  
The little girl walked closer to the door and listened.  
  
Those pale green eyes narrowed at the crowd getting on the first floor, “You will never have her. Never.”  
  
“Stupid woman. You’re doing the same mistake as my stupid cousin.” The messy haired woman sneered. “Give us the girl!” The woman screamed while waving her hand dangerously towards Ophelia.  
  
“No. She is my daughter and I won’t let her end up like I did.” Ophelia said as she squeezed her wand angrily and straightened her back. She had no chance against them but it didn’t matter.  
  
The crowd of strange people scattered as a cloaked man walked towards Ophelia.  
  
“Be it as you want,” The cloaked man muttered as he swayed his hands towards the woman. “Avada Kedavra!”  


* * *

  
**“Mom!”**  
  
Eliza woke up with a jolt. She was sweating and shuddering while half of her body was entangled into the white sheets. The brunette needed a moment to calm her alarmingly beating heart before she pulled the covers aside and rubbed her face tiredly. The sun wasn’t even up yet.  
  
She’s been having that nightmare more and more frequently with the same scene happening over and over again. Eliza walked inside the bathroom and washed her face. She leaned on the sink and look at her appearance more closely: her face looked healthy and clean, her green eyes were a bit swollen but not enough to draw attention. Her long black hair was exactly like her mother’s but her eyes were a bit different; darker and slier.  
  
Nine years have passed and the only thing that changed was her. The dreams have been haunting her from that day on; the day her mother sacrificed her life in order to save Eliza’s.  
  
It’s also been nine years since Eliza moved in with Remus Lupin, a good family friend and her godfather. Her mother chose him after all they were good friends during school. Truth be told, Remus didn’t know much about raising children but he tried his best in her mother’s memory. He’d often stare at her for a few minutes before smiling and telling her just how much she looks like her mother and how much she acts like her father.  
  
In those nine years, Eliza learned a lot from her godfather. She wasn’t sure if it was for revenge or just for the future in general but Remus taught her a lot of stuff that weren’t even heard of in her former school. She asked many questions as she grew up but Lupin’s answers were always vague yet believable. Somehow, he knew how to shift her attention on something else, at least for a while, about the differences between her and her classmates in school.  
  
After she changed, Eliza walked downstairs, where Lupin was making breakfast. He had his back towards her but he heard her enter.  
  
“Another nightmare?”  
  
Eliza scoffed and took a seat at the table.  
  
“It’s getting more and more intense and I don’t understand why. Besides, it’s the same scene.” She continued, disappointed that she didn’t find anything new from that day.  
  
“Maybe you need a change of scenery.” He mumbled while flipping the omelet. It wasn’t burned yet so he put it fast on the plate and covered it with pepper.  
  
Eliza watched Remus place the food on the table and open the newspaper. Right there, on the first page was the article of an escapee from Azkaban. Eliza frowned and leaned over the table. Suddenly, breakfast and nightmares weren’t important anymore.  
  
“Someone escaped from Azkaban.” She squinted in order to get the name, “Sirius Black…” she mumbled. “Wait, Sirius Black? Isn’t that my father?!” She shouted getting excited.  
  
Remus turned the newspaper in order to read the article. He wasn’t sure how to react but he was definitely not as excited as Eliza.  
  
“Why are you silent? Isn’t that great? That means I can finally meet him!”  
  
She was growing more excited as she was making different scenarios in her head. Eliza had never met her father so she wasn’t going to waste such a rare chance.  
  
“It’s not that easy. He escaped so they will hunt him down.” Remus added, thinking like a grown up responsible adult.  


* * *

  
Breakfast was finished in silence and so continued the rest of the morning with Remus finding something to do and avoiding any questions Eliza had about Sirius. It was a bit strange since Remus used to speak a lot about the times he spent with his friends yet when one of them turned out to have gotten free, he begun sulking.  
  
When a soft knock interrupted the awkward silence in the house, Eliza found it vital to rush and open the door in hope that may actually be her father. Already being one step ahead, Lupin rushed to the door and responded before she had the chance. Eliza didn’t know who was on the other side but Lupin’s expression was a mix of happiness and melancholy.  
  
The reason for the rising tension in the room was an old man, incredibly tall with a white long beard. He smiled and patted Remus’s shoulder warmly before entering.  
  
“It’s been a long time, Remus.”  
  
His voice was low yet very warm; like one of a storyteller. His eyes were sparkling behind those small half-moon spectacles, especially when they landed on her.  
  
”It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Eliza.” The old man continued,” My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I believe you have heard of it.”  
  
She nodded slowly, completely mesmerized by the new acquaintance.  
  
“Is there something wrong?” Lupin interfered quickly.  
  
Dumbledore stared at Eliza for a few minutes before he responded, “I’d like to speak to you privately.”  
  
The elder fully turned to Remus and gave him a certain look that instantly made the younger man realize what was going on.  
  
Eliza watched as the two men entered the kitchen and closed the door right in her face. She blinked and glanced to the side, at a certain object on the wall. Her eyes softened as she walked closer to it and looked at the framed picture sorrowfully: four boys were standing next to each other smiling joyfully. One of them was her father, laughing while his arms were wrapped around his two friends.  
  
Her eyes moved on the boy who seemed a bit uncomfortable: Remus Lupin. He genuinely took care of Eliza and taught what magic was and how to use it. He was a good teacher but he was also hiding something from her.  


* * *

  
Inside the kitchen, Dumbledore’s eyes wandered around until they stopped on Remus.  
  
“I’m here to ask you to join Hogwarts this year as a Professor of Defense against Dark Arts. I am fully aware of your problem and I assure you that it won’t be a concern, like it had never been.” Dumbledore continued.  
  
“My concern is Eliza. I hid the letters from Hogwarts for a reason.” He stated firmly.  
  
“I know,” Dumbledore started and took a few steps closer to Lupin. “She will find out eventually. I would like her to be close when that happens.”  
  
Remus didn’t look convinced at all, “What if she gets sorted into Slytherin?” The werewolf man asked.  
  
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and glanced at the closed door.  
  
“Then we will have our answer.” He muttered.  
  
Eliza barely placed the picture on the table when the door to the kitchen opened and Dumbledore walked out first, followed by Lupin. The older man smiled softly at her before he left. On the other side, Remus sighed heavily and turned to her.  
  
“What’s wrong? What did he want?”  
  
She was sure something was wrong when she saw Remus’ hand twitch. He was agitated.  
  
“Have you ever wondered why you never got the chance to enter Hogwarts?” Remus started. She genuinely didn’t care much about it before. “I hid your letters. Usually, once you turn eleven years old, you get a letter of acceptance into Hogwarts,” He continued, shifting when he saw her eyes narrow slightly at him. “I did it for your safety.” Remus added quickly.  
  
“And?” She urged him on.  
  
“I have been offered a teaching spot this year.”  
  
“In Hogwarts?” She asked while walking closer to him.“He came personally just to say that?”  
  
“Yes. If I’m going to Hogwarts, you come too. You’re going to Hogwarts, Liz.” He announced, still not sure if that was indeed a good idea.


	2. Dementor

Eliza’s room wasn’t anything fancy or big, even though Remus did ask her if she wanted to use an enlarger enchantment (he really tried his best to satisfy any whim she had). Thankfully, the brunette witch was content with anything as long as it was coming from someone she trusted –which was just Remus, really.

Anyhow, her room was a bit crowded but very comfortable. The walls could be barely seen by all the shelves of books hung around but the pink pattern could be noticed near the bed and the door; her bed was taking most of the room, placed in the right corner right in front of the only window in the room and next to it was a very small black wood nightstand with few stuff on it. Her dresser was next to the door, enchanted since she had a lot of things she couldn’t really leave around the room. It was definitely small for a growing girl who was at the beginning of her teenage life but Eliza was genuinely happy with it.

Having most of her clothes in one corner of the dresser made packing very easy and short. Grabbing a pair of socks, something silver fell out of one, sparkling in the sunlight. Eliza took it off the floor and looked at the locket hanging on the necklace with longing. It was a present from her mother for when she was going to enter Hogwarts but under certain circumstances, it had been given to her by Remus a few years ago. That locket was very troublesome because it wouldn’t open until her 11th birthday however, once she opened it, she found it empty. It was disappointing, really.  
  
“Eliza?”

Her head snapped instantly towards the door. Remus was there, leaning against the door frame with a calm expression.

“How is packing?” He asked while walking to her.

“Fine,” She responded fast and hid the locket amongst the clothes.

“You know, Harry Potter, the son of Lily and James Potter is already Hogwarts.” Remus continued.  
  
She nodded along, her black hair falling into her eyes as she turned towards her luggage, “You told me about them. You, Pettigrew, Potter and dad were best friends. They had helped you during full moons.”

Remus chuckled at this and nodded, “James was supposed to be your godfather but James and Lily were murdered by-“  
  
“Voldemort. I know the story. The Potters died protecting their son, Harry. Voldemort tried to kill him but it didn’t work well. That’s how Harry Potter became the boy who lived.” She remembered every word Remus told her when she was younger. “What does that have to do with me?”  
  
“Sirius is Harry’s godfather,” Remus added quickly. “If the past will repeat itself, you and Harry might become good friends.”  
  
Eliza was confused where that idea came from, “What if we won’t be friends at all?”

It was only a theory but it left Remus speechless.

* * *

That night, the nightmare returned and woke her even earlier than before. Since she couldn’t exactly leave without Remus, Eliza grabbed her broom and went for a quick ride  
  
Once she stepped outside, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. The wind was a bit harsh with Autumn being right around the corner but it made her feel at peace. Once she got on her broom and rose in the air, she started to make circles around the house. It wasn’t much but Eliza could feel herself smile contently.  
  
Inside, Remus was sitting in the kitchen, fidgeting while thinking of Eliza’s future. She had every right to meet Harry but Remus was worried that she will find out more about her family than it was needed. Besides, his full moon problem was going to interfere with teaching even if Dumbledore seemed fine with it.  
  
Eliza flew around for two hours before she came back down. She showered and carefully went through her luggage to see if she packed everything. There was only one small detail missing: her wand. She was sure she placed it in her dresser but it wasn’t there.  
  
“Looking for this?” Remus asked bemusedly holding her wand in his hand. 

She looked at him over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes playfully.  
  
Remus found himself levitating. It wasn’t new that she could master a few spells without using a wand but he was still surprised. He threw the wand back at her. It wasn’t anything special, really: a 12 ½ inches, English oak with phoenix feather in the core and surprisingly swishy. It was perfect for her.  
  
What she didn’t have was an owl and other books she needed for school. That got solved once Remus got his feet back on the ground.  
  
“They’re waiting for you downstairs. I took the liberty of going to Diagon Alley early this morning and get you everything.” His face brightened and pointed at her dresser. “There’s something in there, as well. Something new.”  
  
Eliza raised an eyebrow and warily made her way to her dresser. She pointed her wand at it and slowly opened one door. She checked it closely but didn’t find anything; not until something small and furry jumped on her head. Eliza shook her head and the small pet fell on her arms.  
  
“A black cat.” She muttered, completely in awe. Moreover, the cat had the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. Her head snapped to her godfather and launched on him, wrapping her arms so tight around the thin man that she might have as well squished him. “Thank you, Remus.” She mumbled into his chest.

“By the way, I know we won’t be able to use my owl so I brought you someone.” He barely said as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
Surprises were piling up for her like it was her birthday. Remus urged her to go downstairs and see with her own eyes; and she did. With small wary steps, Eliza descended the stairs ready to be surprised by something jumping at her. Nothing happened.  
  
On the couch, moving wildly in a cage was a brown owl with the biggest eyes she had seen. She gasped and walked closer to it, amazed.  
  
“He’s Willy, your mother’s former owl. He is a bit old but very sharp and loyal.” Remus informed.  
  
“Where has he been all these years?” She gasped when the owl set his black eyes on her, staring in confusion and even tilting his head to the side.  
  
“Hagrid took care of him. Willy had never liked me or anyone, for that matter.” The adult added, narrowing his eyes at the innocent looking owl. 

Lupin could still remember the old owl scratching him every time Ophelia sent him letters. But of course, that happened so long ago.  
  
“And why would he like me?” She asked, getting closer to the cage.  
  
The old owl didn’t look scared; if anything, he seemed to watch her with longing.   
  
“He’s beautiful.” She muttered, reaching out to Willy through the cage. 

Much like Remus expected, Willy didn’t attack Eliza; at least not at first. A few seconds into meddling with it and the owl glared at the young girl and begun squirming in his cage. 

“Maybe we won’t become friends fast.” She mumbled, retracting her hand.  
  
“You have time,” Remus assured her and grabbed his cage. “Come on, let’s get going or you will miss the train.” He added, glancing at the clock seeing they had only half an hour before the train will leave.

* * *

Remus went first and didn’t wait for Eliza.  She had never used the train before and people were pushing and pulling in King’s Cross Station. Eliza knew how muggle life worked (it was like a life of freedom that many muggles weren’t appreciative of) but there were downfalls as well.  
  
It took her another ten minutes to find platform 9 and when she did, some random girl walked right through the wall between platform number 9 and number 10. Eliza was aware of all the magic hidden in the Muggle world but it still amazed her.  She took a long look around her before she pushed her trolley the same way, closing her eyes before running right through the wall. Her green eyes widened when she felt a gust of wind and finally got on the platform 9 ¾ where the crowd was even worse.  
  
“Excuse me! Excuse me!”  
  
She was having a hard time and she seriously started to have second thoughts. If the school was like that on daily basic, she was going to be the sore thumb that would stay in the back all alone.

Now, that was probably Lupin’s fault for keeping her always around Muggles. Even on nights with a full moon, she would have to either lock herself in her room or fly around for a while.   
  
It was hard getting everything on the train but she managed somehow. It was a bit overwhelming and a bit exciting how Eliza could finally meet kids her age and make friends. That reason was enough to make her smile and try to be positive.  
  
That wasn’t working well, though. 

Friendships have already been created and there were hardly empty cabins.  She wandered around for a few more minutes until she found an empty compartment.

Eliza barely got the chance to sit when two boys opened the door and pushed each other in, oblivious to the girl already there.  
  
“This year is going to be so much trouble, I swear! How come everything happens to me of all people?!” One of them moaned, falling grumpily on the seat.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and moved his attention off his shorter friend, finally noticing Eliza. His eyes winded and forced his friend to turn around and look at her.  
  
“Oh, hello.” The short guy smiled nervously and sat in silence next to his friend. “Are you a first year?”

Shorty got nudged by his taller friend, a bit too hard from his expression.

“What was that for?” He muffled, pushing his friend slightly.  
  
“She doesn’t look like a first year, Seamus.”  
  
Eliza blinked innocently, aware that Seamus and the other boy were staring at her, curiously.

“Eliza,” She mumbled a bit uncomfortable.  
  
“What?” The same Seamus boy asked.  
  
She swallowed nervously and fidgeted, “My name is Eliza. I think I have been transferred into third year.”

Seamus’ eyes widened as she started to speak more.  
  
“Blimey, you talk. I’m Seamus and this is Neville!” The sandy haired boy introduced himself and his friend, who smiled at her. “We’re Gryffindors! What house are you in?” He asked, growing considerably more easy-going and talkative.  
  
She didn’t get to respond because the compartment door opened and another guy walked in, this one noticing her right away.  
  
“Oh, haven’t seen you before,” He started, taking the empty seat next to her. “I’m Dean. Dean Thomas. Gryffindor.” He smiled softly, making her feel better for a moment.  
  
As the train began to move, Eliza got swamped by the three boys and their funny conversations about random subjects (from Seamus’ stories of his cousin, Fergus visiting with his aunt and having some kind of adventure in the forest to Neville’s own interesting tales of his grandmother) but also more important matters.   
  
“Have you heard about Sirius Black? They say he escaped Azkaban!” Seamus lowered his voice to a whisper.

"I heard Dementors have been searching for him for a while now.” Neville interfered with his own opinion.  
  
“But how did he escape exactly? Azkaban was supposed to be impenetrable!” Seamus added, his eyes getting wider when he mentioned the grandeur of the prison.  
  
“Yeah. Supposed to be.” Dean continued sarcastically.  
  
The boys continued to talk on that subject and share their opinions but she didn’t want to get involved. She would have been subjective because Sirius Black, traitor or not, was her father and she wanted to talk to him at least once.   
  
As Eliza leaned her head against the window, she noticed something a bit weird.  
  
“Hey, mate. Is it me or the train is slowing down?” Seamus rose from his seat and opened the door. 

He was right and more students came out of their compartments to ask each other what was going on.  
  
Eliza’s eyes widened when the train stopped at once and felt a chill go down her spine. That proved to be quite serious when the compartment became cold and the lights flicked off. She turned to Neville and Dean and for a moment, she felt really scared.  
  
Seamus suddenly entered the compartment with no color in his cheeks and he forgot to close the door. There were gasps from other students but most froze when Dementors got on the train. At that word, Eliza’s hands started to tremble. Dean noticed it right away since he was standing right next to her.  
  
“Are you alright?” He asked worriedly.  
  
She wanted to respond but the Dementor passed their compartment. That would have been good if the next one wouldn’t have stopped and peaked inside. Her eyes widened forgetting that she wasn’t alone. The Dementor made no noise as he searched for Black. Well, he found _a_ Black and didn’t pass the opportunity to take a closer look. The cloaked creature turned towards Eliza and stared at her without moving an inch.

However, Eliza was so overwhelmed with fear that she started to shudder harshly.

The boys frowned when they saw her squirming and tried to do something. She screamed when she heard that intimidating voice killing her mother before she fell limp.


	3. Sorting

“What happened? Was it my imagination or did she just fall?”  
  
Eliza groaned and moved a bit. She could hear the boys whisper in the back but she couldn’t make out who was who.  
  
“What happened?” She finally asked feeling like her head got split in two.  
  
“You fell out of nowhere! Merlin’s beard, you scared us!”  
  
She nodded and rubbed her head feeling sorry for making such an impression.  
  
“Dementors were searching for Sirius Black.” Dean told her as he helped her stand. “They’re gone now. We’ll get to Hogwarts real soon.” He continued softly.  
  
Eliza nodded and glanced around her, seeing only Seamus standing across her with wide eyes while Dean was awkwardly standing next to her.

“So, where do you come from?” He asked, trying to loosen up the atmosphere.

* * *

The ride went awfully silent after the incident - well except the questions they had and the usual talk about Hogwarts and Quidditch. 

When they arrived at the station she felt like she couldn’t move her feet. She changed in the bathroom into her plain robes and returned to the cabin in record time.

“Are you scared?” Dean asked her as they were making their way down.  
  
“Not exactly scared but I’ve never been around so many people before. It’s a bit overwhelming.” She admitted, getting a pat on the back from the boy.  
  
“If you need anything just come looking for me, Seamus or Neville. It doesn’t matter what house you get placed into, really.” He smiled kindly and waved before running to some other friends of his.  
  
“Right,” She mumbled, standing there without a clue.  
  
“Hey! Are ya lost?”  
  
Eliza turned around and glanced up at a giant man who had a worried expression planted on his face. When he saw her eyes, his face brightened.  
  
“Ya’re Eliza right? It’s nice to meet ya. I’ve been dyin' to see ya eve' since Dumbledore let everyone know ya’re comin’.” He seemed very excited for some reason.  
  
“Is that good?” She questioned, making the giant laugh.  
  
“Of course! I’m Hagrid.” He leaned in and continued. “How’s been Willy doin’? A bit cranky, ay?” 

Her eyes widened and finally recognized the name. Hagrid was the one who took care of Willy because the old owl hated everyone.

“Oh, just a moment,” The giant man whispered before he straightened and started to announce that every first year should follow him and keep close.

The transfer students had to do the same since she was a newcomer and had to be sorted.

* * *

“So, did he bite ya already?” Hagrid started bemusedly.

 Eliza ended up in the same boat with him and two first years who looked somewhere between very excited and very scared.  
  
“No but he tried.” She responded softly making Hagrid laugh. “Has he always been so violent?”  
  
“No. There was one person he liked 'xcept yar mother,” That definitely piqued her interest.

That seemed to be the end of the discussion as they were getting closer to the castle. The sight was marvelous, like nothing Eliza had ever seen in her life and most of the first years were having the same reaction.  
  
Eliza was one of the few transferred students –there were two more from Durmstrang and one from some Italian Academy in the Alps- and while the boys were talking to each other in Bulgarian, she could only walk with the Italian girl in silence. They followed the first years silently and decided to stick together since they were far taller than the rest. 

The woman who was waiting for them inside the castle was a woman that looked very strict with her hair tucked in a tight bun. The Bulgarian gals found it funny to comment and scare the kids near them but the Italian girl shrugged them off. Eliza sighed and smiled encouragingly at a girl in front of her.  
  
As they were following the firm teacher around, the Italian girl moved closer to Eliza and attempted a conversation.

"What's going to happen now?" Her thick Italian accent was giving her a certain flair while speaking.

"I guess we will be sorted. Wasn't there a sorting process in your former school?" Eliza asked slowly so the girl could understand every word.

The Italian shrugged, "There weren't enough students for that. What about you?"

"Homeschooled." Eliza answered curtly.

They were already in front of the doors when the professor glanced at them one final time before pushing them open.

Saying that Eliza was freaked out was an underestimation; she was horrified for some reason. She glanced at the other transfer students and noticed the pride in the Bulgarians while the Italian girl was blushing terribly.

Once they got in front of the hall, the teacher grabbed an old hat and urged them to come closer.

“We will begin with the transfer students!”  
  
Oh no.

Eliza’s eyes widened and she swallowed, scared that her name may trigger some nasty comments and looks from the first night.

"Dimitrov, Ivan," The professor begun.

Eliza's eyes wandered over the professor's table and noticed Dumbledore looking straight at her with what she hoped was reassurance. Her head moved down the table and saw Remus smiling confidently at her. Well, she hoped he had a reason for that.

She could barely hear where the others have been sorted: Dimitrov Ivan got in Ravenclaw (surprising even himself), Georgiev Peter got in Slytherin (to his joy) and Lazzara Lucia got in Ravenclaw as well. That only left...

“Molley, Eliza!” 

Her head snapped to the professor with a frown. At first she thought there was another person with that name that she didn’t see but there wasn’t; she was Molley Eliza. She glanced at Remus from the corner of her eye before she walked forward. 

Once the Sorting Hat touched her head, it started to hum.  
  
_“Oh my, oh my,”_  He said out loud.  _“A Black,”_  The hat whispered, sensing the tension coming from her.  _“Witty and sarcastic yet smart and loyal. You’d be good in Slytherin, your blood is calling for it. But would that help you much?”_  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, scared that if she would breathe out, she’d be placed in Slytherin. “GRYFFINDOR!” The Sorting Hat screamed.  
  
The Gryffindor table cheered loudly and welcomed her with smiles and encouragements.  
  
“You’re a lucky girl, aren’t you?” Dean exclaimed enthusiastically.  
  
Eliza chuckled and welcomed the warmth of her house. Neville moved a bit to the side and made room for the new third year while Seamus winked at her. There were other people who congratulated her but she decided to stick close to the people she knew already.

* * *

As the night progressed and the first years got sorted, Eliza couldn’t help but smile and laugh at either the guys she already met or the new people. She met the Head boy already only because there was a pair of twins that were making fun of him quite loudly.

“The Weasley twins. They are a funny pair, those two,” Seamus explained, “The victim is Percy, their older brother.”

“How many are they?” Eliza asked while her eyes were following the red heads.

Dean chuckled, “Many,”

There was a girl who suddenly plopped on Neville’s other side- Hermione Granger from what Eliza picked up. It seemed her best friends were two boys: a ginger who was stuffing his face and a boy with glasses.  
  
The ginger plopped next to Seamus, his appearance reminding Eliza of the twins. Dean chuckled.

“Ron Weasley and next to him is Harry Potter.” He explained.

As the ginger was glancing from time to time over towards the table behind, he caught sight of the new face standing between Dean and Neville. Before Ron could get any funny ideas (especially because Eliza was always cowering to Dean’s side when a new Gryffindor would introduce himself) he decided to introduce her before anything else.

“This is Eliza. She’s a transfer student,”

That piqued Harry’s interest as well and he turned to look at her.

They finally met. The black and the Potter. Voldemort was not even important as Eliza remembered the photograph hanging on the wall back home.

The boy who lived looked pretty normal except the faint sight of his lightning bolt scar covered by his messy hair.

Harry smiled awkwardly and nodded at her but Eliza only blinked twice in return. It was getting even more awkward with the brunette staring at Harry with so much intensity. Luckily, Neville leaned back a bit for the girl to introduce herself as well.

“I’m Hermione Granger. You’re lucky you got into Gryffindor though the others are not that bad either, except Slytherin of course.” The bushy haired girl had the same voice that a former professor had in Eliza’s Muggle school.

“Where did you transfer from?” Ron asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

That caught Eliza off guard. Everyone was looking at her and from the expression on their faces, she was sure everyone had one or two questions prepared to ask.

“H-Home. I learned on my own,” The brunette responded shyly.

Hermione’s eyes widened and she changed seats with Neville –not that he was willing but he had no choice.

“How far have you got on your own? This year we had to sign for a few more classes and you may need to revise everything you have learned until now.” Hermione begun with a glint of excitement, “I can help you, if you want.”

Eliza’s eyes widened and just like before, she moved closer to Dean. Hermione seemed more than willing to show off her amazing teaching abilities and share all the information she accumulated in the last two years of school.

‘Say no.’ she saw Ron mouthing but Hermione’s gaze was heavy.

Thankfully, Dumbledore rose and began his speech, saving Eliza from responding.  
  
“Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I’d like to say a few words before you all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First I’m pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin who was kindly consented to fill the post of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck professor!”

Eliza smiled and clapped, seeing how content Remus actually looked.  
  
“Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid.”  
  
Everyone from the Gryffindor table started clapping excitedly. Eliza laughed seeing her new acquaintances being delighted with this new decision.  
  
“Finally, on a more disquieting note at the request of the Ministry of Magic Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban until such a time as Sirius Black is captured. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures. They'll not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, l must warn each and every one of you,” At that point, his eyes landed on the three people next to Eliza. “-to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving. But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

And that’s how the speech ended.  
  
“That was a little creepy.” Eliza heard Dean mumbled next to her. She couldn’t agree more.

* * *

After the big welcoming feast, Percy was sweet enough to show Eliza to the Gryffindor tower. Most of the people she met were in the same house anyway so she just let herself be taken by the crowd.  
  
“How were classes in your old school?” Lavender Brown asked out of nowhere while they were walking up the marble stairs.  
  
“I have been home schooled by my godfather. I’ve been living with him after my mother died.” The green eyed girl responded, surprising the whole gang surrounding her.  
  
“I’m so sorry. How did she die?” Parvati Patil asked sorrowfully.  
  
“Murdered.” Eliza responded coldly and Neville changed the subject quickly to his grandmother.  
  
To get into the Common Room, one had to give the password to a painting containing a fat lady. Percy said the password clearly for everyone to hear and the painting opened before their eyes.

“You’re lucky we’re just three girls in the dormitory. It will be far nicer now with another one.” Parvati whispered on the way to the girls’ dormitory.

Finally in the room, Eliza let herself fall on her bed and yawned.  
  
“Already sleepy?” Lavender asked jokingly. 

Eliza nodded before yawning again. “You have no idea.” 

She’s had a hard day and she couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow had prepared for her.


	4. Remember a Malfoy

_“I came, just like I promised I would, Ophelia”_

_His voice was echoing through the whole house even though he wasn’t yelling. It sounded so cold and firm. Whoever that man was, he was intimidating._  
  
Ophelia glared at the stairs before she opened a secret compartment in the wall from the far back of the hall. Her hands were shaking as she grabbed an elongated object that looked like a stick and grasped it. She had to be strong for her daughter. She had been entangled into his web for far too long and she had so many regrets that were still haunting her. That man tainted everything in her life and she didn’t want that to happen to her daughter as well. 

_The person who got first in the hall was a woman with strange and messy hair and with a terrible expression on her face. She was content and cocky, in a bad way._

_The little girl walked closer to the door and listened._  
  
Those pale green eyes narrowed at the crowd getting on the first floor, “You will never have her. Never.”

_“Stupid woman. You’re doing the same mistake as my stupid cousin.” The messy haired woman sneered. “Give us the girl!” The woman screamed while waving her hand dangerously towards Ophelia._  
  
“No. She is my daughter and I won’t let her end up like I did.” Ophelia said as she squeezed her wand angrily and straightened her back. She had no chance against them but it didn’t matter.  
  
The crowd of strange people scattered but the one who walked towards the woman was not the cloaked man. No, it was a man with platinum blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. He shook his head in disappointment and moved aside, letting the real danger face Ophelia.

_“You did it with your own hands.” The blonde mumbled before the same loud curse echoed through the hall._

_“Avada Kedavra!”_  
  
Eliza woke up with a jolt, grasping for air and trembling from every corner of her body.

She calmed down after a few minutes and took a shower. The girls weren’t up yet so she could take her time.

With the water falling over her head, she couldn’t help but remember the dream. Maybe Remus was right and she did need a change of environment because something new popped up. It wasn’t very relevant because he didn’t seem to have any higher position than the rest but the way he was looking at Ophelia, with such disappointment…  
  
After she finished her shower, she stopped for a moment to look at her reflection in the mirror. It was foggy so Eliza had to wipe it a bit so she could see her eyes at least. She caressed her cheek softly and sighed. Those green eyes were not exactly the same pale color as her mother's but they did look alike. The rest of her face was a softer version of the crazed man who escaped Azkaban.   
  
When Eliza walked back in the room, the girls were making their beds.

“Oh, you’re awake already. Did you shower?” Hermione asked, still dazed from waking up.  
  
Eliza nodded and grabbed her clothes. She finally had color on her robes and they were pleasant to the eye.

* * *

The first class of the day was Divination with Professor Trelawney. From what Eliza piqued up during breakfast, it seemed Divination and Care of Magical Creatures were new classes that some students chose and some didn’t. The point was Eliza did not choose anything and her timetable just came to her already prepared. Unconsciously, her eyes fell over the satff table but instead of catching Lupin’s eye she caught another’s.

Finding the Divination classroom was another big problem because Eliza had no idea whatsoever where she was going. When she finally found the classroom, she was ten minutes late and had to sneak at the nearest table.

Except the outside appearance which was definitely abnormal, the professor seemed kind and a bit lost in her own world. Altogether, Eliza was happy that everyone she had met was in that classroom, more or less interested in what Trelawney was saying.  
  
Eliza was standing with Parvati and Lavender which proved to be a very bad decision. The girls were engrossed into all the stuff about Divination and once they drunk their tea and begun their tea-leaves-future-finding-whatever-that-was, Eliza sulked in her seat.  
  
“The truth is buried in a sentence of a book, waiting to be read. First you must open your minds to see what is beyond!”  
  
Eliza watched the professor and couldn’t help but chuckle bemusedly. At some point, the professor saw the so called Grim in Harry’s tea and the chaos ensued, almost the whole class moving around Harry and Ron’s table.  
  
Eliza glanced at her partner, who was now looking at her with confusion. She snatched the cup from her and looked at her own leaves, her eyes widening when she noticed the insides. Eliza didn’t have the grim but she had something that looked a lot like a serpent.

* * *

Nothing really happened after class and Trelawney didn’t get the chance to see Eliza’s serpent. It was the second time she would have gotten lost if it wasn’t for Lavender Brown who found her going in circles when they had Transfiguration.

Unlike what Hermione imagined, Eliza has been very well taught and knew absolutely every spell they did in the last two years. Of course, she didn’t know anything new but unlike her classmates who were shaken up by Harry’s Grim and the whole Divination class altogether, the brunette was well past that.

However, when they had to go outside for Care of Magical Creatures after lunch, Eliza was saved again by Lavender.  
  
“I’m very thankful, Lavender.” Eliza mumbled sheepishly.  
  
“No problem! We’re in the same house we should help each other out!” The girl smiled, sending positive sparks towards Eliza.  
  
Unlike what she originally thought, people who were in the same house seemed very likely to have each other’s backs. Eliza has seen Hufflepuffs hang around with Ravenclaws and both houses hanging out with Gryffindor but no one from Slytherin would talk to someone else.

“How has today been so far? Is Hogwarts different from what you imagined?” Lavender asked, genuinely curious.  
  
“Yes, very. I've never met a Dementor before and only saw one in a book,” She responded sincerely.

Lavender furrowed her eyebrows together and nodded thoughtfully.  
  
“It’s all about Sirius Black and the breakout from Azkaban. But that is not enough to keep you from having fun!” She exclaimed and smiled.  
  
Once they arrived at what Lavender called Hagrid’s Hut, they got into partners and had to keep an eye out for the books. Eliza had one too but she didn’t open it yet.  
  
“Are you alright?” She asked Neville when she saw him fighting with his book.  
  
“It’s fine.” He mumbled right before the book launched at him. Through some amazing luck, he got the chance to close it and keep it that way.

* * *

From Hagrid’s Hut they went into the forest, ready for the lesson. It was about magical creatures and how to take care of them or use them in your favor. They had that class with Slytherins and it seemed all of them enjoyed creating havoc around them, especially one blond guy.

“That’s Malfoy. He has something stuck up his bottom.” Seamus told Eliza, making a face.   
  
“He seems to piss off everyone.” She commented, grabbing Ron’s attention.  
  
“You bet he is.” He mumbled as he passed the brunette.  
  
For most of the way, friends spoke to friends and no one else. She got to speak to Hermione again but for some reason, every time Harry was around, Eliza was uncomfortable and had to go back to Seamus or Neville. She wasn’t sure why since they never even talked and he wasn’t a bad person but it felt a lot like that scar on his forehead was hurting her as well. It was silly but she couldn’t help it. It was a reminder that her family was just as broken as his parents were dead.  
  
Neville opened the book again and got attacked by it, making everyone laugh.

Once Hagrid told them to separate into groups, Eliza followed Hermione yet still kept the distance from Harry.  
  
“Those books are intense,” Eliza mumbled to her roommate but she seemed a bit tense.

Hagrid seemed quite struck by the fact that not even one student knew the books had to be stroked in order to calm down. The blond of Slytherin found it quite vital to point out just how stupid that sounded. Hagrid’s whole excitement cracked.

Eliza shook her head and sighed, deciding she should keep a distance from the mean Slytherin boy for as long as possible. As she was walking behind Dean and Seamus, she almost tripped over her own two feet, the forest fading from vision as something else flashed before her eyes.  
  
 _“I’m not the kid from Hogwarts anymore. You should have chosen your family, us! But instead, you chose Potter and his little group,” The blonde snarled at the green eyed woman. He was furious and he was looking at her with the same disappointing glint as the day she was murdered._

_“Is that really what you want to be Lucius? When we first met, you were just like me. Our families were the ones who forced us into the darkness. Maybe they trained you too well, maybe you have been brainwashed but not me.” Ophelia addressed this younger version of Lucius._  
  
“Maybe. Or maybe he changed you, Sirius Black. He will get you killed sooner or later.” Lucius added calmly, making Ophelia feel even worse.  
  
The memory faded away when she got pushed aside by none other than Malfoy, who wanted to have a better view of what was happening ahead. Ron noticed her almost losing her balance again and helped her up.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his eyes staring into hers.

“I just got pushed, nothing much.” She responded, a smile spreading on her face.  
  
Since Harry wasn’t there because he got to make friends with a hippogriff (which she totally spaced out and had no idea how and when) it was far more comfortable standing with Hermione and Ron.  
  
Eliza couldn’t help but glance at Malfoy from time to time. He was just like a younger version of Lucius, if she were to really inspect him. They were both Slytherins and their images fit so well together.  
  
As the hippogriff came back, Harry became the center of attention which quickly changed into a disaster once Malfoy forcefully touched Buckbeak, getting him scratched.  
  
“My father will hear about this!”  
  
Malfoy was very keen on making everyone pity him, even when Hagrid easily scooped him up and went back to the castle and to the Hospital Wing.  
  
“What does his father do?” Eliza asked the closest person she could find. Interestingly enough, that was Harry.

“He works at the Ministry of Magic. He is an even bigger asshole than his son.” The boy responded making her even more curious.  
  
“Is his name Lucius?” She asked, not once thinking that Harry had met him before.  
  
“Yes. Have you met him?” Harry asked, frowning a bit.

Her eyes widened when she realized what she just asked and shook her head quickly.  
  
“Not exactly,” She muttered before she turned her head to the side and completely ignored him for the rest of the way back.


	5. E.B

At dinner, it was already a known fact that Malfoy got scratched by Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Eliza clearly heard him say the hippogriff was a beast and a danger for any student or anyone for that matter.  
  
“He’s lying through his teeth. I’m sure no creature would harm someone innocent.” Eliza mumbled, hearing the blond whine to his friends and exaggerating his injury.

Dean glared at the blond over Eliza’s shoulder before he turned to her. “His father is definitely furious and won’t let things as they are now. He will probably get Hagrid fired.” The boy retorted, before pushing a paper in front of her. “You did it wrong.” He continued, making Eliza groan and lean her head on her hands.  
  
“Why is this so hard? How should I know about muggles and their lives? Why am I taking that class anyway? ” She whined, getting a chuckle out of Dean.  
  
“Your parents are purebloods, aren’t they?” He asked, curious yet shy since he didn’t want to pry much in her life.

Her shoulders fell in disappointment and nodded. “That has nothing to do with the way I have been raised. Before I came here I was actually homeschooled in magic and went to a normal school. I know how Muggles do things.” She grumbled feeling already tired.

Dean chuckled. Having homework from every teacher was harder than having homework from Remus.

“You know, Slytherins are usually pure blood wizards and look down on any muggle born or half blood. You should keep away from them if you can. They’re bad news, especially Malfoy and his lot.” The Gryffindor boy advised.

Eliza took a peek at the Slytherin table and saw one piggy faced girl simpering at Malfoy while two other Slytherins were stuffing their faces still.

“Rich kids are the same everywhere,” She muttered loud enough for Dean to catch on.

He laughed but didn’t say anything until he remembered their time table, “Tomorrow morning we have Potions. You should be careful around Professor Snape. He’s the Head of Slytherin House and he favors his students before anyone else. It’s good to be careful around him.”

“So he bullies everyone except Slytherins?” She repeated, her eyes wandering towards the professors table.

Dean leaned in a bit and whispered, “The one in all black and menacing- well, everything is menacing about him. Just beware Snape.”

Eliza nodded and took one last glance at Snape before giving a dramatic yawn.

* * *

Next day, Eliza found out on her own skin the wrath of Professor Snape.

As soon as she entered with Neville, the dark eyes of the Potions professor fell on her and she swore he sneered. They had to make a Shrinking Solution and while she was right next to Neville and tried to help him cut his ingredients, Snape saw her and glared at her.

“Each with their own cauldron Molley. I believe your former professor taught you as much,” He spoke curtly from the very first meeting.

What was indeed annoying for Snape was the way she seemed to absorb everything he was saying with great interest, making it hard for him to snap at her. She was neat and calculated and even Hermione was struck of the way she seemed to be so composed with all the glaring from both Slytherins and Snape.

“He may take points from you because you’re good,” Seamus whispered but quickly backed away when the greasy haired teacher turned to him.

“Is there something you want to share with the class, Finnigan?”

Seamus shook his head quickly and added another ingredient, the mushy stuff in his cauldron becoming even worse.

Without any help coming from either side, Neville’s potion had a very ugly orange color and from the smell, Eliza was sure it could kill someone. That was probably Snape’s opinion too because he strutted over with that menacing look and watched Neville try his hardest before snapping at him.

“Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly.”

Neville was barely standing on his feet while his face was one of utter terror. When Snape turned his back, Hermione quickly began muttering what was needed to save the potion, careful not to be seen. The green eyed witch watched bemused as what seemed like a know-it-all student (and she probably was) was helping her less fortunate classmate. Her eyes moved even further, on Harry’s table where it looked like Harry and Ron were having a hard time with Malfoy there.

By the end of the lesson, Neville survived the bullying and Malfoy walked out without a scar on his face, though Eliza was sure Ron might launch at him eventually.

The next class was Defense against the Dark Arts with professor Remus Lupin. She was way too excited and Dean was amused by how happy she was during lunch.  
  
“I’m good at this.” She covered her act when he asked her the reason.  
  
“You know, usually we’re only theoretically learning how to defend ourselves against dark powers.” He mumbled sarcastically as they entered the room.

Eliza decided to keep to herself that Lupin’s classes were usually very active and fun at home.

* * *

Once Lupin entered the classroom, he smiled at everyone, his eyes searching for his former pupil. She was there, between two guys and Remus couldn’t help but chuckle. She seemed content. However, they weren’t going to stay inside and write; professor Lupin ushered everyone outside before taking the lead to a staff room where he invested his entire attention on an old wardrobe.

The lesson was about a Boggart, a creature that like small dark places and was currently living in that wardrobe. It was a creature that transformed into the thing a person feared the most but couldn't concentrate on many at once. That was why everyone got lined up and with Neville being the first, they begun a very active lesson.

Everyone's biggest fears were shown in front of the class and no matter how excited were the Gryffindors, Eliza preferred to listen to Seamus and Lavender beam with delight than have a go.

When Harry's turn came up, Lupin quickly jumped in front of him and the Boggart shifted into a shining crystal ball that was actually looking a lot like a full moon. No one seemed to have noticed but after the lesson finished, Eliza heard Lavender.

"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls."

"Maybe he's had a bad Divination class." Seamus mumbled in Eliza's ear making her chuckle.

* * *

Surprisingly, Hermione became nicer as time passed and even helped Eliza with Charms and Muggle Studies, which she was still confused about. However, it was weird, just like Ron said a few times already, how Hermione had a lot to study and she was appearing at the beginning of every lesson and fading away at the end.  
  
“How do you do that?” Eliza cornered Hermione one day, curious what the bushy haired girl was up to. 

Hermione shifted around and even laughed it off but Eliza wasn’t stupid.  
  
“What do you mean?” 

She was playing stupid and it only made Eliza chuckle. 

“Seriously, what do you mean?” Hermione repeated, sighing when her new classmate just shrugged.  
  
Eliza stared at her newest friend for a few more minutes, while she opened a book about muggle history, before she decided to drop that subject since Hermione didn’t seem keen on sharing her secret method.  
  
“Forget it. It’s probably nothing anyway.” She covered quickly.  
  
They were supposed to study in the library since Eliza needed a tutor for different subjects that she never really cared about like history of the wizarding world. It wasn’t about years as it was about names; it was really hard for her to remember the names. 

* * *

  
It was later that night, in the Common Room, when Eliza sat on the couch, bringing her knees close to her chest while staring at the fireplace. She didn’t even feel when someone else sat next to her, a bit indignant for some reason.  
  
“What happened?” Eliza asked, her head still facing the fireplace.  
  
“Slyhtherins and their antics. Besides, an innocent animal will be killed because of the stupidity of a brat.” Hermione mumbled clearly mad about the recent events.  
  
“You, Ron and Harry have been friends for a while, haven’t you?” Eliza suddenly asked, taking Hermione by surprise.  
  
“I-I guess so. Why?”  
  
Eliza turned her green eyes on the brunette, making her feel a bit uncomfortable since it seemed like the transferred girl was scanning her face. 

Truthfully, Eliza was just curious of the trio and especially, of Harry. She heard many stories from Remus but the outcome of the younger generation didn’t seem to take the same route.  
  
“Do you think Sirius Black wants to kill Harry?” Eliza’s questions were more and more interesting.

Hermione seemed to think about the answer for a while before she answered, 

“I think Sirius Black is a dangerous person.”  
  
That wasn’t a bad answer but it wasn’t one that Eliza enjoyed either. It seemed everyone had certain resumption for worst case scenarios which mostly contained Harry Potter and death together in the same sentence.  
  


* * *

  
Later that night, precisely an hour after midnight, Eliza woke up from another dream that seemed to prolong her flashback in the forest. She tiptoed out of the room and walked into the Common Room, taking a seat on the couch across the fireplace.  
  
Her thoughts were going back to her family. Her mother was a nice woman from what she could remember and her father, well she could hardly remember his clean face.  
  
Willy was squirming in his cage because she had no one to receive letters from or send to and he was pretty violent, just like Hagrid and Remus told her. She tiptoed in her room and grabbed him, taking him downstairs. She stared at him for a few minutes, the owl staring right back at his owner.  
  
“If I write a letter, will you be able to send it to him?” She asked, genuinely curious what the owl will respond. 

Surprisingly, Willy nodded.  
  
Therefore, Eliza went right away to work. She wasn’t sure what to write so she started by being a bit vague, just in case someone else would get their hands on the letter.  
  
 _Dear dad,_  
  
I know you probably don’t remember me or maybe you haven't even met me. My name is Eliza, in case you don’t know and I am Ophelia’s daughter. I’m not sure what to tell you or how to convey my thoughts to you but I want you to know that no matter what you have done or you will do, I’m not going to judge you. 

 _Maybe you want revenge for all these years of imprisonment but I’m sure you don’t want to harm anyone, especially Harry Potter. I want to believe that you have good in you since my mother chose you as her lover and the Potters chose you as Harry’s godfather._  
  
Please, don’t prove me wrong.  
  
E.B  
  
Looking over it once again, it sounded quite rude but at the same time, it was exactly what she was worried about. She wrapped it up and let Willy free before she opened the window and gave Willy the letter. Surprisingly, the owl snatched it from her and flew out into the night.


	6. Friends

Defense Against the Dark Arts became quickly one of the best if not the best lesson that year. Lupin had a soft spot for Gryffindors and he made every lesson fun and helpful. His homework was also more about practice than theory and he knew how to make himself liked. The only ones who loathed him were Slytherins - for obvious reasons. 

Strangely enough, at lunch after class, Hermione had notes for both Ancient Ruins and History of Magic, which were at the same time. It wasn't even the first time that happened.  
  
“You’re quite a library rat, aren’t you?” Eliza whispered, making Hermione look up at her confused. “It must be hard taking notes by yourself in the library when no one notices. Besides, they sound like you were actually in the class.”  
  
Hermione frowned while Ron and Harry, who clearly heard Eliza, laughed. They stopped once their friend glared at them before she glared at her bully.  
  
“You sounded just like a Slytherin.” Hermione snapped, making Eliza shift a bit in her seat.  
  
It was a weird, seeing as Eliza had only begun to act as herself around her classmates. In her ears, nothing she said was mean or intended to be; she was only teasing Hermione but it seemed her tone wasn’t exactly the best.  
  
“But that’s true, you know. I’m sure I’ve seen this in Dean’s notes-“ Seeing Hermione glaring at him again and even kicking him under the table, he retracted his words,”- or somewhere in a book,” He mumbled, going back to his homework.

* * *

Divination was still a class Eliza couldn’t fully comprehend. At the end of what felt like a long old movie, she sneaked through the crowd just so she could get into the hall before Lavender would catch her again and tell her again of the things 'she had seen in the signs around her, very bad too'. 

Having no idea where she was going, Eliza made an unfortunate turn that slammed her straight into Malfoy.  
  
“So, we meet at last, huh? And your knights aren’t here to protect you.” He said.

She blinked twice before she responded, “Well, goodbye!” She said quickly before she rushed past him.

For some reason, Malfoy seemed like a bad omen at the moment and she wanted to have a silent first year at Hogwarts.

* * *

It went on like that for the next two months, getting friendlier with most Gryffindors and even a few Ravenclaws. 

Eliza kept her distance from Slytherins but couldn’t help and meet Malfoy from time to time in the corridor. He would either snarl or act all mighty in front of his friends; both were an issue for her friends who seemed to take it more personal than she was.

Her relationship with Harry was pretty much nonexistent. She was avoiding him like plague and wouldn’t even stay around if the others weren’t there. That proved to be quite difficult in October, when she decided she wasn’t in need of Hogsmeade and got stuck in Hogwarts with none other than Harry.  
  
“Why didn’t you go with the others?” He asked, jumping on the couch next to her in the Common Room. 

She froze for a moment before she loosened up.  
  
“I don’t feel like sweets,” She answered, making the glasses boy chuckle. “What about you?” She asked out of respect.  
  
He scowled before giving his answer. “I didn’t get the chance to have the pass signed. I don’t think my uncle would have signed it anyway,” He mumbled grumpily. 

She nodded and turned back to reading about teenagers and their interests. 

“Do you want help?”He asked grabbing her full attention.  
  
“Help?” She asked in confusion. He nodded and pointed at her book, her eyes glancing between the object in her hands and the boy next to her. “Oh. Well, it doesn’t seem very complicated.” She responded, making Harry laugh lightly.  
  
“You have no idea what you’re reading, do you?”  
  
Eliza glanced at her book before she shrugged and gave up. She seriously had no idea what she was reading.  
  
“It’s a magazine for teenage girls. It’s about how to use make-up and talk to boys,” He added, much bemused from what she could see. 

Once she realized what she was holding, she quickly pushed it to him. That only caused more laughter from Harry and suddenly, watching him like that, he seemed normal.  
  
“People fuss a lot over you,” Suddenly, awkwardness filled the room again. “Why don’t you fight back the attention?”  
  
“I don’t want attention,” He replied quickly, getting really uncomfortable. It was a special trait, rising tension so quickly. “I never wanted it. I just-“  
  
“Have a predilection to cause trouble.” She finished his sentence, remembering Remus’s stories of his childhood at Hogwarts.  
  
“You’ve been avoiding me all this time, haven’t you?” Harry asked bluntly since she seemed very bold.  
  
“Yes.” Eliza really was bold. “You make me feel threatened. I don’t know how to explain this but I feel like you could just run away when I need you the most.” 

She wasn’t good at expressing herself at all but that was exactly how it felt.  
  
“Why would I do that?”  
  
She shrugged, her eyes moving down to her hands.  
  
“I won’t do that. I don’t leave my friends behind, Eliza. We are friends, right?” He assured her, not sure if he should pat her shoulder or just not move at all.  
  
“You can call me Liz. Eliza is too formal between friends,” She mumbled, her eyes still on her hands. 

Harry smiled softly and realized not going to Hogsmeade wasn’t going to be as bad as he imagined.


	7. He Was Here

For the rest of the day, Harry and Eliza talked about random stuff until they went for a walk through the castle sometime later.  
  
“I heard rumors about you," Eliza started as they walked around. "You caused a lot of trouble because you have this talent of jumping head first into strange situations." She tried to put it in a way that wouldn't sound rude.  
  
Harry laughed but nodded nonetheless. It was extremely funny how hard she was trying to express her opinions without sounding like a Slytherin, which she wasn't affiliated with in any way.  
  
"I had to do something or else no one would have had. I'm sure you only heard half of the story." He seemed so sure about that.  
  
"Why don't you tell me your side of the story then?" She asked, her eyes widening a bit since she was genuinely interested and curious.  
  
"Well, it's not much to say,"  
  
But he told her anyway.  
  
There was something about her that seemed comfortable and he couldn't help but tell her everything he has been through in the past two years. It was quite hard not to laugh when Harry would say just how brave was Hermione with her witty comments and brilliant mind or how Ron had no choice but get involved since they were friends. It was a friendship that not many had the chance to create.

* * *

At some point, they took a turn and found the door to a classroom largely open. Inside was none other than professor Lupin.

His eyes narrowed into two crescent moons when he saw her dark hair popping around the door. He was ready to say something when Harry followed Eliza.

"I see you two are having fun." He commented from the side. "Please come in. I've just taken delivery of Grindylow for our next lesson. Would you like some tea?" 

Both students nodded and walked further into the room.

"I'm afraid I only have tea leaves, which I am sure you dread already." He chuckled, making it very obvious that he was talking of Divination.

Eliza eyed the Gindylow which seemed to shake his fist at them before taking the cup of tea from her godfather. Maybe it was the silence that engulfed the room but Remus asked, "Anything worrying you, Harry?"

Eliza saw that as a sign to give them privacy so she quickly got up and placed the tea aside, "Well, I've got to go by the library so..."

Harry nodded and Remus smiled knowingly before he too nodded and called a soft "Take care on the way back," knowing she has been getting lost ever since she arrived.

* * *

On the way back to the Common Room, she almost got lost again when she heard someone getting closer to where she was. The brunette witch waited expectantly for whoever it was to save her but once he came into sight, she felt like she should've just asked a painting or something.

"What are you doing here, Molley? Shouldn't you be flapping about with your friends?" Snape asked.

But Eliza's eyes fell on the goblet he was carrying, a strange smell oozing off it. 

"What's that?" She asked innocently.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "None of your business." He said before continuing his way. Of course, he couldn't leave before having the final word.

* * *

An hour or two later, Eliza was back on wandering the castle, not caring that it could actually be dangerous to open every room she found. 

One particular door closed back in front of her face with so much force that she stumbled back, almost falling on her bottom. The face that jumped through the door also had a very loud voice that left the Gryffindor student speechless. The poltergeist only took one good look at Eliza before he scoffed and ran away.

"You're wandering really far from the places you know," Lupin's voice startled her even more than the ghost. "That's Peeves, the castle's poltergeist. He usually causes great discomfort to everyone." He explained.

Eliza frowned and turned to her professor, "He looked at me and left."

"Who knows what he's thinking about,"

"Or who, maybe?" Eliza added quickly. 

Remus sighed and turned the same way she came from, urging her to come after him.

"No one knows who your parents are, Eliza. I want you to enjoy the time here as much as possible." It sounded like he genuinely meant every word he said but Eliza's mind was wandering other places and couldn't bother sinking them in.

"About the next full moon..." Eliza trailed, her green eyes peeking at the werewolf man.

"It's been taken care of. Professor Snape was kind enough to prepare something for me."

A snort was ready to come out of her mouth at the word 'kindly'. That wasn't an expression she would use with Snape's name in a sentence.  
  
"What about you and Harry?" Remus changed the subject quickly as they were getting towards the Great Hall. "It looks like you finally acknowledge his existence."

"So you noticed?" She asked, the man nodding with a glint of amusement in his eyes, "When I first saw him, something about him made me feel nauseous. I avoided him because it felt like I should." Eliza explained though Remus didn't look like he wanted an explanation in the first place.

* * *

At dinner, Eliza sat between Neville and Harry, surprising everyone with her talkative personality. The boy glanced at each other curiously as to what exactly happened while they were gone.

“What have you two done while we were gone? Did you put a spell on each other or something?” Ronald asked, bewildered that shy and blunt Eliza was talking and laughing with the person she used to avoid so badly.  
  
The culprits glanced at each other and laughed, shrugging Ron off and continuing with their curiosities of Hogsmeade; well, more like Harry’s curiosities.  
  
They were already done and Ronald was going on and on about the shops, where to go and where not to go like the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted building in Britain.  
  
“I’m sure it’s not haunted. Those are probably only rumors.” Eliza mumbled, munching on a green acid pop that Hermione bought for her. It was delicious and it smelled like fresh mint; Eliza was indeed grateful and decided she will go next time and buy Hermione something for Christmas; maybe the guys too.  
  
“Exactly! Rumors are based on real facts! Everyone talks about it so of course something is off about that place!” Ron continued, trying to push his opinion onto her. It wasn’t working well and everyone else could notice how stubborn both Ron and Eliza were.  
  
They were ascending the new set of moving stairs when they noticed a huge crowd in front of the Fat Lady portrait. There was only one problem: the Fat Lady was gone; her painting empty and bearing large scratches. The students were in a panic and so were the figures in neighboring paintings.

Eliza took a step back, watching as Dumbledore was making his way up the stairs to the painting. The whole Gryffindor house was talking loudly but once the headmaster appeared, the whole house became silent. Eliza raised an eyebrow when she noticed just how fast Dumbledore changed his demeanor when he saw the scratches.  
  
Out of reflex or maybe woman feeling, she glanced over her shoulder at a person that was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Remus’ face was blank; no expression at all and that alone was so new and strange for Eliza. Their eyes met and for a moment, she swore she saw the eyes of the wolf instead of those of a man.

"You'd be lucky to find her~" A voice nattered grabbing the attention of everyone. 

Eliza's head snapped at the voice, recognizing it as the poltergeist that ignored her earlier that day. The rest of the conversation passed her incredibly fast with the noise around her but she did catch Peeve's most important announcement.  
  
"A nasty temper's got, that Sirius Black."   
  
Eliza's eyes widened with a joyful glint that only Dumbledore and Lupin feared. The daughter was bound to meet her father sooner or later and Dumbledore was worried what the two might talk about.


	8. Hello Father

The students from Hogwarts have been nicely shown to the Great Hall were they were going to spend the night. Remus wasn't to be found while it seemed like Snape was everywhere. It was annoying how the students weren't allowed to go anywhere without Percy Weasley approving (not even when one needed the bathroom). 

Eliza rolled on the other side and glanced outside, ignoring Seamus's soft snoring. The room was filled with sleeping bags that were enlightened only by the moon. She was curious what was Remus doing and if Snape's oh so kind gift was working or not. 

The green eyed witch couldn't do anything until after midnight, when Percy went to speak with professor Flitwick about Black. She tiptoed out of there, opening and closing the door in utter silence before she headed to the Common Room. She was in need of shoes and wand so she could go look for Remus; or at least werewolf Remus. It was a full moon and she had to be careful not to get caught. 

"Hey! Who's there?" Filtch's voice echoed in the corridor, making Eliza freeze.

Her green eyes moved from side to side, searching for a place to hide. In the end, she ran outside, down the hill where she stopped in front of the willow. 

It took Eliza a few more breaths before she finally calmed down, massaging her chest. That was probably the most exercising she has done in the last few years. She could still remember the last time she ran: it was a full moon and she was curious how Remus looked like a werewolf so she innocently opened the basement and took a peek.

Unfortunately, Remus noticed her and her smell got imprinted in his mind which became a big problem afterwards. Ever since, one of them has been forced to leave the house for one night per month.

"Those were good times." She mumbled, rubbing her arm.

It was night and she was standing in front of an old willow. The wind was picking up but everything else seemed suspiciously quiet. Maybe it was the Dementors that made everything seem so gloomy or maybe she was just too paranoid.

The brunette narrowed her eyes at the tree and took one more step before she stopped and stared at it. 

"It's so silent......" She trailed, folding her hands in front of her chest to keep herself warm.

At one point, while the moon was hovering over everything and anything below, she heard it- she heard the howl of a wolf. Eliza had heard that sound for most of her life but she still got goose bumps.

One detail that Lupin always avoided was where he was hiding when the transformation begun. He never told her where he was going at night. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, annoyed that she ran out without thinking first.

A growl and a light whirl sound made her rise her head and survey the place once more. There it was, at the base of the willow, a black dog of bigger dimensions than normal ones. She had quite a shocking reaction: none. Eliza was staring at the dog with so much intensity that even the animagus took a few steps towards her, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

Being a curious person herself (and probably reckless) Eliza got closer to the dog, even when the animal's expression changed into a snarl and growled. With every step towards the subject of interest, she could hear movement yet her eyes were set on the dog. 

She only had the chance to watch as the huge branch hit her and threw her aside.

The student groaned and rubbed her side, feeling something itchy surface. Eliza noticed the same branch swirl and go for another hit; she had no power to do anything but close her eyes and hope it won't throw her far. She was waiting for the hit but instead of something rough touching her, Eliza felt something wet and sticky.

Her eyes opened wide when the same black dog grabbed her by the ankle and snatched her down the hollow in the trunk.

* * *

Inside the hollow, Eliza noticed just how much it looked like a passageway. It was mysterious and truthfully, she was getting a weird thrill out of it.

Once the dog reached deeper into the corridor, he let her go. She didn't move an inch and continued staring at him. Under her curious gaze, the dog morphed back into a human with messy black hair and lonely eyes. He looked like he had been through enough terror for a lifetime. 

Her eyes widened while he scratched his back, feeling an itch down his spine that was probably a flea; he had been too reckless when going out in the forest.

"You are Sirius Black," The witch stated the obvious. "You are Sirius Black." She repeated, sounding like she was trying to get that name and face stuck in her mind.

"And you are very reckless," He started, leaning against the wall still scratching his back. "I can only guess you like playing with fire."

Sirius had no idea who was standing before him but those green eyes were the only reason he saved her. 

"I'm E.B." Her words didn't seem to ring any bell in his memory, "Eliza Black, your daughter." She continued.

Saying that Sirius was surprised was a lie not an underestimation because Sirius knew Ophelia was pregnant when he got caught. But he never got the chance to see the baby or know if it was a girl or a boy. They didn't get the chance to marry officially with the war and all the other stuff and he couldn't have regretted it more than now, when he was looking into the eyes of his daughter.

Taking a closer look in a quite creepy and spontaneous way, he grabbed Eliza's shoulders and leaned in. She looked like a younger version of Ophelia but with tints of his own features like the hair or the chin. 

She was _his daughter_. Realization hit him hard and he felt his eyes tear up as he wrapped his hands around her tightly.

"My daughter," He repeated out loud, caressing her hair. "Who would have known we would meet like this." He continued murmuring in her soft black hair.

Eliza couldn't hear anything but her heart beating loudly with emotions she couldn't explain. Her father was right in front of her, hugging her tightly with kindness and love and he just morphed from a dog.

"You're an animagus!" She exclaimed after he backed off a little, his hands still on her face and eyes still wide and teary.

Sirius chuckled, still scanning her, imprinting her image in his mind for later.

"Where are you living now? I only heard Ophelia was murdered in a mission and never got the chance to find out why or by who and-" He stopped, breathing and rubbing his eyes. Everything was moving too fast and he needed a moment to recollect himself.

"Mom was murdered by Voldemort. I was four years old when it happened and have been living with my godfather ever since." She informed her father, who suddenly turned grim.

"By Voldemort." He repeated the most important part.

Sirius knew something she didn't. It was the way he frowned or the way happiness vanished from his eyes but it was obvious something else was going on in his head. 

Is there something wrong?"

He turned away, rubbing his forehead whispering something to himself before turning to her.

"Do you know why?" Sirius snapped but calmed down when Eliza shook her head, "Good, good." He mumbled before grabbing a hand through his messy hair.

After another glance at her, he wrapped his arms around her again, smiling with joy in what felt like an eternity in darkness.

"You know why, don't you?" She asked, her voice muffled by his clothes.

His grip tightened around her, his eyes widening a bit.

"It's alright. You have me now. I'm sorry I haven't been there to see you growing up." Sirius whispered, making her freeze in shock.

Eliza has been waiting for that moment for her whole life- meeting her father and having him wrap his arms around her, telling her that they could live together and have a normal life. She wished for that every single night and now, here he was in all his glory, apologizing and hugging and overwhelming her with affection that seemed a bit frantic.

It took another few minutes for Sirius until he backed off and asked Eliza something he postponed. "Have you met Harry?"

Eliza nodded and chuckled, sounding much like him which only widened his smile. 

"Yes. We're both Gryffindors so it's a bit hard not to meet each other every day,"

Sirius beamed with amusement.

"You're a Gryffindor! Blimey, I don't know why I was worried before," He mumbled, "Of course you would be a Gryffindor, as your parents. I have to say, I was quite the charmer when I was your age." Suddenly, his eyes seemed to search in the distance, longing for those fun times with his friends "Hogwarts is a great place, you know. You can meet people who can change your life and turn you towards a better path, make you a better person....." He trailed, remembering his pranks and all the things he did as a student.

"I know. Remus told me about your so called adventures with Potter and Pettigrew."

She could still hear Remus' voice telling her stories that would make her laugh and cry at the same time.

"The Marauders, yes," Sirius chuckled. "How do you know Mooney?" He asked when he realized he never said anything about him. His eyes widened when he figured it by himself. "Godfather! Ophelia named him your godfather?!"

Eliza nodded, suddenly remembering what she was there for. "Remus! Where is he?!" 

Sirius grabbed her by her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Calm down. He's not here, I haven't seen him in a very long time."

She tilted her head to the side before she responded, "Why are you here? You know what they're saying? They're saying you want to kill Harry," she whispered narrowing her eyes at her father.

Sirius laughed which completely confused her.

"You sounded just like your mother," He barely got out through loud laughter. "A Slytherin at the core." He mumbled completely missing the fact that she was right there, with no idea what her parents' heritage was.

Eliza's eyes widened but she didn't get the chance to ask anything because he changed quickly into his animal form and nudged her towards the exit. She sighed and watched him bark happily before running deeper into the passageway, leaving her there with more questions than before.


	9. Differences

On the way back, she couldn’t help but think about Sirius’ last comment. A Slytherin at the core, what was that supposed to mean?  
  
She was already in the hall and the sunrise was still far so she had enough time to sneak in and sleep for a few hours. Unfortunately, she got entangled into her own world and forgot to check out the way therefore, she got perplexed by a sudden ball of light stuck in her face.  
  
“Just like I thought,” Snape found her. He grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her with him.  
  
“What are you doing? Let me go,” She squirmed, easily breaking away yet the man was bigger than her and caught her again.  
  
“I told him you will only bring terror to Hogwarts; just like your father did and his friends,” He spat in a low murmur.  
  
He dragged Eliza to the headmaster, whom wasn’t very surprised to see them barge in.  
  
“What is wrong, Severus?” The elder asked yet his eyes were set on the young girl.

Eliza frowned when he noticed the little, almost unnoticeable grin the headmaster had. It looked like he had foreseen her breakout.  
  
“I found Miss Black roaming the halls after midnight while a serial killer is out there, his eyes set on revenge.” Severus spoke with much hatred. She hasn’t done anything of such hatred and wasn’t even sure who the man was.  
  
“Is that so,” Dumbledore trailed bemusedly, “I’m sure she will repent on her misbehavior and won’t cause trouble again, correct?” He addressed her, Eliza’s head nodding automatically. “Now, Severus, please let me have a word with Miss Black; alone.”  
  
Severus scowled before leaving the room. It was amazing how relieved she felt after that person left.  
  
“Professor Severus Snape,” Dumbledore started, getting up from his seat and moving slowly around the table, towards her. “He will take care of today’s Defense against Dark Arts class. I’m sure you only wanted to make sure your godfather is safe and didn’t harm anyone, especially himself. But Eliza, no one can find out you have any connection to Remus or Sirius Black. We don’t want to create even more rumors now, do we?”  
  
“No, sir.” She mumbled, linking her arms in front of her. “I just-“She wasn’t sure what to say in her defense.  
  
“Have you met him?” Dumbledore asked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Eliza nodded, a smile uncontrollably creating on her lips. She was truly happy that she met her father.

“Is he alright?” Dumbledore continued and she nodded again. “Sirius has always been a character, even when he was a student. He would always create trouble with his best friends but would always protect them, with the cost of a few detentions,” He started bemusedly. Eliza chuckled and walked closer to the headmaster.  
  
“Why was professor Snape so angry with me? I haven’t done anything bad, only broke a rule or two,” She trailed, realizing that she indeed acted on impulse.  
  
“Lily and Ophelia were two young women that never judged Slytherins. Severus, Lucius and Regulus were the three Slytherins your mother had a soft spot for because of common circumstances,” He finally unveiled the mystery.  
  
“Lucius Malfoy was there when my mother was murdered. They were friends before,” Eliza mumbled to herself but Dumbledore heard and nodded. “He seemed very offended, for some reason,”  
  
“The Black family is of pureblood lineage and they have always been followers of You-Know-Who. Fortunately, your father deceived the lineage and became the first Gryffindor in the history of the family.” He finished, watching her closely.  
  
After what she heard her father say, Dumbledore’s explanation made sense. For the next few minutes, Eliza shifted her weight from foot to foot, thinking how Sirius cheated on the family tradition yet still ended up locked in prison. It wasn’t fair at all, not for him, her mother or her.  
  
“I understand but why was Malfoy so mad and disappointed? Mom wasn’t a Slytherin,”  
  
Dumbledore smiled softly and returned to his seat before responding, “That, Miss Black is a secret that can only be discovered in time.” 

* * *

Next day was horrible for everyone not only Eliza, who only got two hours of sleep and no homework done. She was lucky that she had Neville behind at Muggle Studies and Remus taught her well Transfiguration, getting quite ahead from what she could see. However, when the deadly hour came, she knew Remus was in no condition to teach so there was only one who could replace him: Severus Snape.  
  
The whole classroom darkened when he entered, and not only because he actually pulled the curtains. His whole personality seemed to be nasty and rough, like he was venting his frustrations on the students. When his eyes met Eliza’s he scowled and turned towards the rest of the class.  
  
“Turn to page 394,” He started in a calm yet still angry voice.  
  
Everyone complied, some faster than others who took their time. Eliza was behind Harry when the boy asked what should have been the most logical question. Where was professor Lupin? Everyone was wondering the same thing, especially after how fun his classes have been. Of course, Snape’s answer was rude.  
  
“That’s not really your concern, isn’t it Potter?” However, he continued, “Your professor found himself incapable of teaching at present time. Turn to page 394. “ He was quite rude and not very patient.  
  
Eliza glanced at the professor over her shoulder, her eyebrows furrowed into a scowl. Harry glanced at Eliza, whose discomfort was very noticeable. Well, he knew how Snape was so it wasn’t a surprise that she hated him already.  
  
The subject they were going to study was not exactly a surprise: werewolves. Hermione combated right away, already knowing what they had to study with Remus yet not deepening the subjects they should have learned. Actually, Eliza couldn’t care less as long as the professor would leave and she could go sleep. Ron seemed more surprised and interested in how Hermione appeared suddenly next to Harry. Truthfully, even Seamus was confused since he was standing next to Eliza and they were right behind Harry.  
  
“What’s the difference between an animagus and a werewolf?” Snape started, walking in the front.  
  
Eliza’s breath hitched and she looked to the side.  
  
The only one who knew the answer or was willing to respond was Hermione who immediately raised her hand. Snape saw her but still asked someone else, anyone.  
  
Once Hermione responded, forcefully from her part, Eliza leaned back on her seat, feeling paranoid for some reason. She couldn’t keep a straight face as Hermione started to explain the difference between Sirius and Remus. Eliza knew how hard was for a werewolf to keep his consciousness while being in his wolf form; she’s been through that already and she ended up running. But the others, it was only theory for them or even a bedtime story.   
  
Worse was the homework, in which Snape was forcing everyone to write a lengthy parchment about werewolves and their traits. The professor was insufferable but Eliza complied and started to pay attention, just in case Dean or Seamus or even Ron would like some extra notes.

* * *

“That must have been the most dreading class I had ever listened to,” Eliza moaned when the class was over.  
  
Ron and Harry agreed but Hermione was mad on how awful she was treated, being called a know-it-all (which wasn’t false but it was rude coming from a teacher who just embarrassed his student in front of the class).  
  
“Why is he so angry all the time? And why Gryffindors?” She continued to vent, having most Gryffindors at the table agree with her.  
  
“That’s how he’s always been, especially when it comes to Harry,” Dean commented from his side of the table.  
  
They were in the Great Hall, later that day, and they were doing their homework early because they had Quidditch in the afternoon. Gryffindors against Slytherins, not much of a surprise. Everyone was glaring at everyone and it wasn’t funny at all; Slytherins were acting even worse than on normal occasions.  
  
“Why are they beaming? The match hasn’t even started yet,” She continued, leaning towards Hermione who was next to her.  
  
“That’s Slytherin for you. Most insufferable house ever,” Ron whispered with hatred from his seat across Hermione and next to Harry.  
  
“But isn’t that very strange? Why werewolves and animagus all of the sudden?” Hermione asked, getting a very subtle reaction from Eliza.

Thankfully, no one noticed; no one but the house ghost who suddenly appeared right in front of her.  
  
“Ain’t you an exact copy of Ophelia Molley!” Headless Nick exclaimed, since he hasn’t really seen Eliza up close. “You, young lady, should be aware of the danger coming. Sirius Black,” He whispered the name right in front of her face, a wide smile making it seem like a joke for everyone else. But he was serious; much like every adult in the castle the ghost knew she was a Black.  
  
“Right,” She mumbled, keeping her eyes on him. Suddenly, the ghost laughed loudly and appeared completely, not just his upper half, before leaving with his head hanging to the side.  
  
“That wasn’t peculiar at all,” Harry mumbled sarcastically, making the rest laugh but not Eliza. 

* * *

He couldn’t ask her why she suddenly got angry because she got called into Charms for a quick chat about her incredibly bad grades, same with the new assessment for Muggle Studies.

Eliza sighed and stumbled around with a tank of books she had to read and write an essay on by the end of the week. She couldn’t see much so of course, she was bound to stumble upon someone she didn’t want to meet.  
  
Her books sprawled at her feet and her right eyebrow twitched. In front of her was Malfoy and his face was the definition of a wolf who found his prey. She sighed and ignored him, getting quickly to gather her stuff. Being a prat, he pointed his wand at her forehead.

She raised her head and raised an eyebrow questioningly.  
  
“I thought you can’t use your arm,” She started ironically. “Besides, you’re pointing it for nothing,” She continued.  
  
“You want to test that theory?” He snarled, pushing the wand so that it hit her slightly.  
  
“Do it then,” She ordered him firmly. “Vex me. Use the Cruciatus curse, just like you had been taught.” 

That sentence seemed to have ticked him off because he mumbled something. She found herself levitating upside down.

“What were you saying, Molley? You don’t seem to understand who you’re talking to,” He sneered.  
  
“And who am I talking to?” She asked, more sarcastically than anything but he brushed that off.  
  
Malfoy leaned in and responded coldly, “The Prince of the Slytherin house.”  
  
He boasted about his title with so much pride that she couldn’t help but laugh in his face. Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her and pointed the wand at her nose.  
  
“Let’s see if you find it funny if your pretty nose is changed into a snout!” He yelled but he didn’t get the chance to apply it because his wand got pushed aside by an anonymous well doer. The spell broke and she fell on her back, next to her books.  
  
“Merlin, it hurts like heck,” She mumbled, massaging the back of her neck.  
  
“You were saved now but won’t be forever,” Malfoy snapped at her before grabbing his wand and running off.  
  
Eliza stayed back, dumbstruck. She was sure she didn’t use any spell. Then, who helped her


	10. Furvus

The Quidditch game began an hour after she got her fair share of bullying in the afternoon. Everyone was watching while the weather conditions outside were worsening.  
  
Eliza wasn’t a huge fan of Quidditch even if she liked playing and liked flying around; no, she chose to stay in and wander the castle on her own. That was how she met Nearly Headless Nick again, right in front of the Great Hall.  
  
“You knew my parents, didn’t you?” She asked, taking a seat outside the Hall. He nodded and flew in front of her. “How was my mother?” She asked curiously.  
  
“You want to know how she met your father, don't you?” He told smugly, reading her act. “Unlike Lilly and James Potter, your parents took very little to understand they are good for each other but they never acted on impulse; at least, not your mother. She was a bit of an introvert and kept everything to herself.” He stopped, knowing that he shouldn’t tell her more, as Dumbledore requested.  
  
“Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Petter Pettigrew. These names, what do they mean now compared to what they meant back then?” She asked slowly, placing her thoughts in order.  
  
“Now, they are forgotten names of wizards who either fell victims to the Dark Lord or became traitors. Back then,” The ghost chuckled bemusedly, “They were definitely what you would call the golden crew; four young boys having fun and learning magic just like you and the rest of the students are doing now.”  
  
“What about the Slytherins who became Death Eaters?”  
  
That question was already too close for him and he wasn’t prepared to disappoint Dumbledore. He tilted his head to the side and walked through the wall. He ran away, avoiding questions regarding Slytherins.

* * *

Eliza was on her way to the Common Room when she heard her name being called from the hall. Her head spun around faster than her body, making her dizzy for a moment before she met Hermione’s scared face.  
  
“Harry got attacked by a dementor!” She started, so fast that Eliza barely understood. “He’s in the hospital wing now but his broom broke,” She filled her friend in while grabbing her hand and dragging her behind.  
  
“That is unexpected,” Eliza wasn’t very touched by Harry’s unfortunate meeting with the dementor and that was obvious in her tone. Hermione rolled her eyes and led Eliza to the hospital wing.  
  
There, the brunette wasn’t sure why she had to be brought with all the other friends from the team lurking around Harry’s bed. Besides, he was looking well for someone who just met a dementor.  
  
However, for him it seemed like her appearance meant something because he smiled gratefully.  
  
It was next day when Harry got discharged that he looked after her. It was confusing when he met Remus instead, who led him outside for a chat. The professor looked tired and wanted nothing but to sleep.  
  
Meanwhile, Eliza was writing her essay on the Second World War, which was a big thing for muggles. From what she found out, Russia and Germany represented a threat from the early stages and Hitler was the man with the mustache that killed more than half a population only because they were Jewish; the Holocaust was called.  
  
“This man should have been hexed out of the picture,” She mumbled while writing down a shorter version of what was written in the book.  
  
“That would’ve been impossible.” Someone responded, taking her by surprise.  
  
Eliza’s head rose quickly and looked around for the person who talked to her. It was a boy dressed in normal clothes, probably preparing for the upcoming break. Eliza still couldn’t believe how fast time passed and how close was Christmas.  
  
“Sorry to interrupt. I only came to return a book and heard you talking from around the corner,” He walked closer to her, showing how tall and handsome he was. “I’m Cedric Diggory, by the way. I’m a fifth year,” He smiled softly, showing the usual trait of his house: Hufflepuff’s kindness an charms.  
  
“Oh. I’m Eliza Molley, third year,” She introduced herself, getting up quickly and pushing a few books off the table in the process. He had to help her gather them, making her blush faintly. “Thanks,” She mumbled, getting a book from him.  
  
“I know who you are. You have a few fans in Hufflepuff, my good friend being one of them.” He chuckled, making her raise an eyebrow in confusion.  
  
“Fans? But I just transferred here a few months ago and I’m definitely not a social butterfly,” She responded, completely unaware of how funny Cedric was finding her.  
  
“You have been noticed, believe me.” Those words only made her blush more, her ears getting really red. “So, the Second World War. You’re not doing well at muggle studies, are you?” He changed the subject.  
  
“I’m not because there are so many names!” She moaned sitting and getting back to writing. The deadline was tomorrow and she wasn’t even halfway. “So many things happened. I don’t know how muggles can look so happy after all this destruction,” She continued, making him nod and sit across her.  
  
“I have a free period now. If you want I can help you.” She couldn’t say no and he knew it. It was too much for her and she gladly accepted any help.

* * *

It was really peaceful for the next hour or so and Cedric genuinely helped her shorten the material by a lot. The essay was over and so was the one about werewolves that was due a few hours ago. For Charms, the only thing Eliza was doing wrong was control; she was putting too much force into her charms and could only start it but not handle it to the end.  
  
"Would you like me to help you with charms, as well?" Cedric asked but she shook her head.

"No, it's alright. Thanks for helping me with Muggle Studies. You should go spend quality time with your friends before you leave." She said as she gathered her essays.

"Are you sure?" He asked gently but Eliza only nodded her head. "Are you staying here for Christmas?" He continued when she moved to place the books back in the library.

"No. I have a lot to catch up on, especially Divination," She mumbled, her tone dripping with anything but excitement. 

Cedric found it amusing and laughed it off, "I believe that is not one you are good at? Seeing the future, I mean."

Eliza chuckled and rolled her eyes as she put the last book on the shelf, "I'm that kind of person who doesn't have the curiosity what will happen beforehand. Especially in Potions," She whispered the last part but Cedric heard it alright.

"You're not the only one who hates Slytherins, especially Professor Snape." He commented, though he tried his best to keep his voice down.

Eliza glanced at him with a grin, "That's the only future I'd like to catch a glimpse of: his downfall,"

* * *

After her little studying time with Cedric, Eliza was merrier. she knew she had to go and give Snape her werewolf essay a long time ago but she didn't seem to be in any hurry.  
  
Actually, now that she was walking towards the dungeons, she was curious where Willy sent the letter because it definitely didn’t reach her father. When asked if he knew where to go, he nodded so he went somewhere and handed the letter to someone, but whom?  
  
The Slytherin house was pretty much the whole dungeon and the few portraits on the walls were glaring at her. When she finally got in front of Snape's office she shuddered, feeling a chill down her spine.  
  
“Are you going to enter or not? I don’t have all day,” His voice beamed from inside.

When Eliza pushed the door open and entered, Snape could swear he saw Ophelia coming to him for help with Potions. Her dark curls would move on her shoulders while walking in like she was a noble. But Eliza had something Snape had only seen at Sirius Black and he hated it; he hated how many memories a kid could trigger in his mind and he hated how his precious Lily and the warm yet sarcastic Ophelia got taken away by those Marauders.  
  
“Black,” He spit with venom, having the stupid face of the young Sirius in his mind. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“I have the werewolves’ essay that I couldn’t give on time because I had other problems,” She mumbled while walking closer to his desk.

His glare was murderous, “That does not concern me. You have not given me the homework in time; you get extra work on the break,” He started, not even glancing at her essay.  
  
Eliza’s eyes widened and tried her best not to vex his face. Snape could see her grasping the edge of his desk with one hand while the other was grasping the paper tightly.  
  
“I want ten pages about defensive spells,” He started. She was ready to comment but he suddenly rose and grabbed something from his desk. “And no matter how much it would pleasure me to have your father caught and sent back to Azkaban where he belongs, don’t send letters that could reveal your identity.”  
  
Her eyes widened when he pushed the letter into her hand with a scowl.  
  
“You have been a friend of my mother, haven’t you?” She started, startling him. “Why are you so rude to me? I haven’t done anything to you and neither did my mother!” She yelled, finally losing her patience.  
  
“That does not concern you. Now leave!” He was taller than her and so much more imposing but she inherited her father’s stubborn personality and didn’t budge from her spot.  
  
“No. I want to know what my mother’s relationship was with you, Malfoy and Regulus. All of you have ended up as Death Eaters, haven’t you?” She continued, her eyes narrowing on her professor.  
  
Snape actually seemed to ponder her question for a few minutes before he decided that if she wasn’t going to leave nicely, he will. He couldn’t tell her anything and not because he promised Dumbledore but because he promised Ophelia.

* * *

For the whole Christmas break, Eliza spent most of her time practicing charms with Remus and playing with her black kitten who was the newest member of the family.  
  
“You should give him a name,” 

“What about Mooney?” She started bemusedly, “Or what about Furvus? It means Black in Latin. It’s a dead language yet most spells are in Latin, aren’t they? Besides, it means obscure, dark just like my family background.” Her explanation was done so well that it sent a chill down Lupin’s spine.  
  
“You’re prying too deep, Eliza.” Remus threatened, though he was really worried how far she could go with that.  
  
She chuckled from her seat at the table and grabbed another book she got from Hermione; it was a muggle fantasy book called The Hobbit and no matter how confusing it was, it was very entertaining.  
  
“Not deep enough.” She mumbled, hiding her face behind the book.


	11. Teenagers

It was a few days later, at midnight when Eliza took Furvus and glowered at Willy on the way to the door. That old bird almost got her in trouble because he gave Snape the letter addressed to Sirius.  
  
She was furious afterwards and kept throwing mean looks at the owl but he seemed quite proud of what he did.  
  
Once she got outside, she got on her broom and flew into the dark night, hiding behind the clouds so that no muggle could see her. Earlier that week, she got a letter with the exact coordinates to a house, which she found out was a former hospital in the late 1800’s that was rumored to be haunted.  _Newsham Park Hospital is one of the most terrifyingly haunted and oppressive locations,_  she read.  
  
She arrived in Liverpool around an hour and a half later and landed right in front of the hospital. No one was around and from what she noticed people were too scared to wander the vicinity. 

Eliza sneaked in through the window falling in the process on her face, scratching her neck slightly.  
  
Walking down the corridor, she couldn’t help but feel a bit scared. The doors were only slightly opened, enough for whoever was there to get the impression something was hiding in the shadows, waiting for the most opportune moment to jump and kill the innocent. Of course, that was only because human perception was thinking about the worst case scenario and would always imagine something diabolic where it wasn’t. But Eliza was human and she was fairly young so she couldn’t help the chill crawling up her back.  
  
The wood cracked under her feet, though it seemed like the hospital was taken care of and remodeled, but she was alright; not horrified yet. The problem appeared when she stopped and the door on her right opened widely, uncovering who was behind it.  
  
Something grabbed her wrist and she immediately screamed, “Aguamenti!”  
  
A jet of water hit the perpetrator in the face yet she didn’t even have a wand in her hand. He was wet from head to toe and Furvus crawled up his leg, plunging his fangs into his thigh. The perpetrator fell back and narrowed his eyes at the girl.  
  
“Is that what they teach you at Hogwarts these days?” He grumbled before his eyes moved on the small black fur clinging on his thigh. Being a dog in some way, he couldn’t help but glare at the cat and shrug him off his leg. “What is that?” He glowered at the hissing cat.  
  
“Furvus,” She responded, reaching out and helping him once she realized who she just attacked. “You didn’t have to be so sneaky and scare me, dad.”  
  
Sirius had a few comments up his sleeve but when she called him dad everything in his mind vanished.

* * *

“How is Mooney? Howling at the full moon once a month?” Sirius asked after they entered a random room on the second floor. 

“Sometimes twice. The weather has been very wicked lately so it has been harder on him and his moods. But everything else is fine.” She responded like it wasn’t a big deal.  
  
It took them a while to get comfortable with each other but when that passed, Sirius started to tell Eliza more about his time at Hogwarts.  
  
“Why does Snape hate Harry so much?” She suddenly asked, making Sirius laugh loudly.  
  
“Snivelly hated James because of reasons that don't really matter.” He started, remembering just how many fights he subjectively begun because of Snape (and maybe because of James too, but mainly because of Snape).  
  
“Then why does he hate me?”

Sirius grinned as he scratched his head, "There was a misunderstanding and I almost killed him during a prank. Of course, I didn't realize just how bad it could turn out to be or else I wouldn't have done it."

Eliza watched her father doubtfully. He didn't look like a man who was repenting on something.

"So what? He hates me and Harry because of our fathers?" 

"Maybe hate is a big word." Sirius interfered weakly, thinking he may as well soften it up for his daughter.

"What about mom? What was her relationship with Snape, Malfoy and Regulus?" She was firing every question she had at him.

“Regulus Black was my younger brother,” Sirius started, feeling a bit awkward. “Our family had created followers of Voldemort and anything related to dark magic truthfully. Regulus and I, we tried to break this chain and live the life we wanted but Regulus got sorted into Slytherin and I was already a Gryffindor. Throughout our stay at Hogwarts, Regulus had gone through changes and he eventually became another Black.”  
  
Eliza frowned when her father’s voice trembled. It must have hurt a lot to see Regulus be forcefully dragged into the darkness.  
  
“Malfoy had always been a prat,” Sirius continued, sneering at the memory of the blond pure blood. “And Snivelly, well he was a special case. I don’t know why he turned his back in everything correct and followed his Slytherin friends but he did. He’s always been an enemy,” He chuckled when he remembered James and Snape dueling over some petty accident. “Now that I think about it, it was childish but back then we were taking high pride in our Marauders. Real friendship lasts forever, after all,” 

From the sound of his voice, it didn’t seem like he was happy with how their friendship turned out to be.

"Then what happened?" Eliza urged her father to tell her more.

Sirius sighed and jumped on his feet. He couldn't stay put while remembering that.

"We knew that Voldemort was after the Potters so they went into hiding. I was supposed to be the Secret Keeper, the only one who knew but for months already I knew there was a spy among us. I never thought-" He stopped and rubbed his face angrily before turning to her, "For a while I thought it might have been your mother until I found out the truth. She was hiding in Ireland and she didn't need any Secret Keeper. Then, I decided with James that we should place Peter instead of me. He was- he wasn't the brightest crayon you know...but then he did it and he blamed me for everything."

One minute, two minutes, ten minutes passed and none said anything. Sirius was breathing heavily but Eliza was just speechless. 

"Then what happened with Peter?" She asked after what felt like an hour of silence.

"Nothing." Sirius snarled, "He got away and killed everyone twenty feet around him. He killed innocent muggles without a second thought and blamed it all on me." 

"What did mom say when she heard?" Eliza asked trying not to get too emotional about everything she heard.

"I-I told them to keep it from her. She had to stay hidden or else-" His eyes widened and he suddenly pulled her in his arms. "I thought you'd hate me for not being there for you. I was afraid you'd hate me but Remus raised you well, Liz." Sirius mumbled sorrowfully.

"Nearly Headless Nick told me that you and mom, it was love at first sight." 

Sirius let Eliza and sat down next to her.

"That's not exactly true. Your mother used to hate me because I was too confident in my abilities, which from her point of view sucked." A bright smiled appeared on his face as he continued, "Her mind was sharp and she could see potential in everyone, especially Slytherins. Lily introduced Snape to Ophelia and they used to spend time together, making potions.” 

Sirius scoffed at the end, remembering a particularly bad memory of the two.

It was a sunny day and it was the weekend so Sirius wanted to spend quality time with his girlfriend. He looked for her everywhere and when he finally found out where she ran off to, he found her with Snivelly. 

He cracked the door open and eavesdropped swiftly to the two talk about things they have done over the summer. Hearing her laugh and act so childishly with Snape was sickening and it made Sirius mad; he was jealous and they fought afterwards.  
  
 _“He’s only helping me with potions. You know how bad my grades are because of Slughorn."_  She said back then but Sirius was too blind to see the truth. That was probably when he followed James into bullying Snape and almost killing him.  
  
“She was a loyal woman but stuff happened and her world narrowed. The war begun and friends became enemies. Everything she built up crashed at her feet and she became a target because of me; she lost a lot because of me.” He trailed, feeling a sudden wave of guilt. 

Maybe if he wasn’t there, pestering her about this and that, she wouldn’t have ended up dead.  
  
“She loved you a lot. That’s quite a lot of blind trust. She must have been a bit stupid for loving you like that.” She joked yet some of it might have actually been her true thoughts. 

Sirius grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

“Trust only the ones who trust you more, Liz. Don’t do the same mistakes we did.” He urged, his eyes earnestly staring into hers.  
  
The brunette was a bit taken aback by her father’s sudden actions but she nodded nonetheless. He knew what he was talking about; he’s lived through disappointment already and it wasn’t something he wished his daughter to experience.

* * *

“Where have you been?” Remus asked sternly from his place on the couch.   
  
She continued her meeting for the whole night and came back home around breakfast. Furvus took a liking to Sirius after he scratched him a bit but once she ordered the cat to behave, he did. When she arrived home, she met Remus glowering at her.  
  
“Well?” He repeated in an authoritarian tone. 

Eliza placed Furvus down and leaned the broom against the wall before walking towards the stairs.  
  
“I’m a big girl Remus. I can take care of myself, you made sure of that.” She was using subtle flattering to get away from trouble.  
  
“Eliza!” He yelled, just like a father whose teenage daughter was acting up.  
  
She went in her room and locked the door, staying there until late at night when she walked out only for dinner before locking herself back. Remus couldn’t believe it. Growing a teenager was so much harder than growing a four years old.


	12. Hogsmeade

The break passed and Remus Lupin was more annoyed and worried than ever. The reason was his goddaughter whose father escaped Azkaban and was hiding from prison guards called Dementors. However tat didn't seem like an issue to have father-daughter bonding time. Eliza was going out at night, Merlin knows where, and come back in time for breakfast. Afterwards, she would lock herself in her room and practice spells all day long.  
  
When it was time to go back to Hogwarts, she grabbed Furvus and waited for her godfather to apparate with him instead of using the train. She wasn’t sure why Remus had to be there so fast but she was happy that she wasn’t going to listen to people ramble on and on about Sirius anymore.  
  
“Are you going to tell me where you went every night or should I use the Truth Serum?”

He wasn’t going to do that but he wanted her to trust him enough and tell him the truth on her own.  
  
Eliza’s green eyes scanned Remus’ face, noticing every trace of stress he gained over the years.  
  
“You should look for a girlfriend,” She mumbled, his eyes widening at her statement.  
  
“W-what?!” He screamed, perplexing the first years that were just coming in. He coughed and pushed her to the side. “Who gave you this idea?”  
  
Eliza smiled innocently and blinked just like Furvus when he messed up the kitchen and played with the thrash. If he didn’t know who he raised for the past years, he would have sworn he was in front of Ophelia when she first admitted she liked Sirius.  
  
“Who have you met for the past week, Eliza?” He asked again even if he knew already.   
  
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” She chuckled already giving Remus the answer with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

* * *

Outside was still snowing when the next break to Hogsmeade came around. Unlike the last time, Eliza asked Remus to sign her pass and go buy presents for Christmas. Unfortunately, that left Harry alone.  
  
On the other side, Seamus and Dean where more than happy when she walked down the stairs that morning, dressed for going out in the cold. Since they knew better where to visit and what to buy, they led her to their favorite places.  
  
Now, truthfully, Eliza had never been to Hogsmeade before, only got the chance to hear about it from Remus’ stories at Hogwarts and the pictures of her mother and her friends in local shops. That was probably the sole reason why she let herself dragged by the boys inside Honeydukes even if she wasn’t a big fan of sweets.  
  
“You should try that! Or this! Merlin, this is heaven!” Seamus exclaimed, a boyish grin appearing on his face.  
  
Eliza swore she saw his eyes sparkle at the sight of chocolate cauldrons and pushed him that way.  
  
While she was going around, wandering the sweet store, she noticed the clerk looking at her very closely. At first, she thought he was looking at someone behind her so she glanced over her shoulder but he was definitely staring at her.  
  
Feeling uncomfortable, she paid for a bag of liquorice wands and left the shop, sneaking out right past Neville. The coldness hit her in the face hard, making her pull her red muffler closer to her face. She shuddered and walked by herself, looking for presents.

In her whole life, she had never seen herself in the posture of having to spend money for someone else except Remus so it was very complicated. Eliza had no idea what her friends liked because she never paid attention. Besides, Christmas passed and she didn't give anything to anyone.

Actually, she got some Christmas cards from Gryffindors and everything but really, her best gift was spending time with Sirius.

* * *

She went around in circles and ended up in Tomes and Scrolls. The bell rung in that familiar high pitched sound, alarming whoever was inside that a new customer crossed their threshold. She was quite short and sneaked inside like she was doing something bad instead of looking for a present. The shelves were old and dusty but the old books were only making her feel like she was back home searching for something interesting to read.  
  
For the whole hour she spent inside, she eyed a few books for herself before taking Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding world for Hermione. She also found something very cute; a novel about a pair of lovers who were too proud to admit their feelings to each other. Eliza bought that for Ronald, chuckling to herself the whole way to the clerk. No one was there so she left the money on the desk and left quickly.  
  
It was quite amazing how happy and content she was feeling by just buying two presents. By the end of the day, she stopped in several stores like Spintwitches Sporting Needs; Zonko’s and back to Honeydukes where she bought an entire cauldron of sweets for Seamus and Neville.  
  
In those moments, with all the stuff she bought, she was really happy that her purse was modified to be bigger on the inside; unfortunately, that wasn’t making it lighter.  
  
Next, Eliza made her way towards the Three Broomsticks Inn, ready for a break and a warm beverage to keep her body temperature high. She was ready to open the door when someone jolted out of there, pushing her to the side in the process. 

* * *

By the time the day was over, Eliza decided to pay a visit to the Shrieking Shack, curious what was so scary at it that brought the title of the most haunted building in Britain. She wasn’t even there yet when she noticed the form of a man sneaking out of the Shack in the distance. It was pretty obvious he was hiding because at some point, he disappeared in thin air; like he was apparating somewhere else.  
  
“So strange,” She mumbled, continuing her walk to the front of the building.

Now, seeing it up close, it did look haunted but so did the Newsham Hospital and it was proven that what was abandoned wasn’t necessarily haunted as well.  
  
Eliza was on the way back to the stores when she heard the echo of an angry male. She couldn’t make up the sentence but she could understand the last world shouted; she was sure it was ‘friend’ and that word sent a chill down her spine.

* * *

Back at the castle, the lessons took their normal course yet students seemed more preppy than before.  
  
“So, how did professor Snape react when the first face he saw after the break was yours?” Neville asked, already imagining it in his head.  
  
“He went bonkers. I thought he was going to curse me out of that room but thankfully, he didn’t.”  
  
That was exactly what happened. She wanted to get rid of that annoying essay as soon as possible and went in the dungeons as soon as she entered Hogwarts. The professor wasn’t there but she noticed something disturbing waiting on the window sill. It was Willy and he had a letter in his mouth, probably for Snape. She was speechless and grabbed the letter without caring that she could get bitten by Willy;  _her_  owl. Unfortunately, Snape came at the most inopportune moment and saw her scan his letter, immediately getting angry before shoving her out of his classroom.  
  
Of course, Eliza wasn’t going to tell her friends why exactly he hated her even more now.  
  
Later that week, Remus called Eliza in the Astronomy Tower, asking her to come empty handed but ready for a duel. That was quite a contradiction since she needed her wand for a duel yet he told her discreetly in class that she shouldn’t bring it.  
  
“These days, I have been teaching Harry the Patronus Charm,” He informed her as soon as they met.  
  
“Good for him. Dementors seem to have taken a liking to his memories,” She commented, remembering the time he got attacked during the Quidditch match.  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow and chuckled slightly, seeing just how unforeseeable those two kids were, even to each other. Eliza was getting friendlier, softer when hearing of her father yet Harry would go crazy if he knew just who his new friend was.  
  
“What about you? You have seen a lot more than Harry when your mother died. Those memories will always haunt you, Liz.” He spoke softly, knowing what a sensitive subject that was.  
  
Surprisingly, Eliza seemed to have loosened up by a lot lately and she didn’t act like she used to. She wasn't getting angry anymore and she was getting good at controlling her magic.  
  
“Those memories are the reason that’s keeping me study so hard. I don’t want to meet him but if the chance will rise, I won’t hide like I did back then. I’m going to fight.” She stated firmly. 

Remus smiled before wrapping an arm around her.  
  
“What about your Patronus?” He asked, letting her go when she got up and pointed at nothing in particular. She didn’t have a wand so she snatched his out of his pocket.  
  
“Expecto Patronum!” She screamed loudly pointing the wand at the wall. Blue light flowed out of the tip, trailing a gentle form of an animal.  
  
Remus sighed and rubbed the back of his neck when he saw what the Patronus was. It was troublesome because every happy memory she had was with Remus and her Patronus was a werewolf.  
  
She chuckled when the werewolf moved from one place to another, like it was playing around with them. Once the werewolf form jumped next to Remus, he licked his face.  
  
“It’s not funny.” Remus mumbled, his eyes closing when the werewolf licked his side of the face again. “It’s not funny, Eliza.” He repeated, opening his eyes with a mischievous glint swirling inside.  
  
“Alright, fine.” The Patronus vanished once she threw the wand at its rightful owner. “I bet I can do it without a wand, too.” She chuckled, crossing her arms in front of her chest smugly.  
  
“I’m sure you can but not today. Today, I want you to disarm me without a wand.” He stated looking at her expectantly.  
  
Eliza blinked for a few seconds before tilting her head to the side cutely, “Why?”  
  
“We don’t know what may happen in the future. Besides, I noticed the way you taunt Slytherins,” Just like your father, Remus would have continued.  
  
“And?” She asked swaying from side to side, concentrating on the wand in his hand.  
  
“Try not to do it often. I know no matter what I will say, you won’t even bother listening to-” Just like your parents, Remus would have added again.  
  
Her green eyes suddenly rose to his and smirked while her eyes narrowed slightly making her look like a cat.  
  
“Expelliarmus!” With a swift sway of her hand, she hoped the wand in his hand will fly away but nothing happened. Instead, something else fell off a shelf.  
  
“Oh,” She mumbled, glancing between her godfather, the original target, and the direction of her spell. “That didn’t work well,” She added, the smirk falling off her face quickly.

“That’s because you were joking instead of concentrating on your target. Do it again, but focus only on what I’m holding.” He started, his voice getting louder and firmer, just like a strict professor.  
  
Eliza rubbed her forehead, already foreseeing the rest of the evening. She knew how stubborn Remus was and she knew he won’t let her leave the tower until she was going to disarm him with her eyes closed.

Yes, that was the real Remus Lupin; hardworking to the core.


	13. Traitor

_”You will never have her. Never.”_

_The cloaked man approached her next._

_Young Lizzy took a step closer, her small hand grasping the broom just in case she had to make a quick turn and fly away._

_The child swallowed as she concentrated on what she could see through the keyhole. The cloaked man stopped abruptly and turned to her. Eliza froze as he pointed his wand at her and hissed:_  
  
_“Avada Kedavra!”_  
  
_“Avada Kedavra!”_  
  
_**“Avada Kedavra!”**_  
  
Eliza woke up again sweating and trembling after seeing the face of the one who murdered her mother. Unlike what she thought, the blond and the woman with messy hair were not the only Death Eaters in the room; there was another one, shorter near the stairs.  
  
When she walked the stairs to the Common Room, she noticed the light was still on and someone was working dilligently on a lot of homework.

"Are you sure you are alright? That's a lot of stuff you've got to do."

Hermione frowned and for a moment it looked like she was thinking how to escape before she actually responded, "I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle."

Eliza frowned and walked towards the desk. Hermione had every book from every class spread in front of her.

"When is it due?" The green eyed witch asked worriedly.

"Tomorrow." 

Eliza's green eyed widened like two plates before she shook her head.

"Unbelievable," 

Hermione raised her head at the sudden change in tone. Eliza was not stupid and seemed very perceptive of the people around her. 

"Ah, right. I heard from Ron that your cat ate his rat. I think he made himself very clear and complained about it all day yesterday." Eliza continued as she walked and sat down on the couch. 

Hermione's figure crouched and she looked like she was going to scream.

"Crookshanks did not do such a thing," 

It didn't sound convincing at all. 

"Then where is that Scabbers? Ron said he saw blood and hair that belongs to your cat," 

Eliza was having a point and Hermione knew how wrong it looked, "Crookshanks didn't eat him. Now if you'd excuse me, I think I'll go to sleep." 

Eliza watched the bushy haired girl gather everything on the desk and strutting upstairs into their dormitory. 

Being all alone, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to the nightmare she had. That pale face was disfigured and the light that she saw through the keyhole was green. Her mother couldn't even defend herself because they ganged up on her. 

She didn't know when she fell asleep but she got woken up by a scream of terror. The girl groaned and watched as more people opened their doors and asked around what caused that noise. 

"What's wrong?" She asked the person who was closest to her which happened to be Oliver Wood, the captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch team.

"It's Ron. It seems Sirius Black was here and he tried to kill him." He answered half alarmed but panic wasn't yet inflicted since he was still half asleep.

"Oh," She couldn't say anything else. She wasn't even sure she should feel so happy that he got inside Hogwarts to begin with.

No one slept afterwards, not after it had been proven that Sirius Black was there for real and not just in Ron's imagination.

Eliza spent the whole night looking out the window. She was waiting for something magical to come and tell her that Sirius was safe. Peter Pettigrew was the sole reason her father was labeled as a murderer. Peter Pettigrew was supposed to be dead but he wasn't.

* * *

If Hogwarts was crowded before, it was even worse now. Professors were being extra careful and searching everywhere for Black. He wasn't in the castle anymore but that didn't mean it was safe.

On the other side, lessons continued as usual. Potions was even more dreadful for Eliza if that was possible but at least she knew why now. However, Snape couldn't take too many points from Gryffindor or give her detention or anything really, because she was good at Potions.

She couldn't say the same for Divination, lesson that became boring now that they had to do palm reading and crystal gazing. It was boring and professor Trelawney was very blunt when she said one lesson that Eliza's future was foggy. Well, she certainly couldn't see it.

Another surprising thing was Eliza's growing friendship with Cedric Diggory. 

"Thanks for helping with muggle studies, again," She mumbled while her cheeks reddened lightly.

Cedric only smiled and pointed at something on the table. It was a book about defensive spells, "That's a bit complicated for a third year, isn't it?" 

Eliza frowned, "Um- that's for my own-um-" 

Cedric must have seen her red cheeks getting worse in embarrassment, "No, no, I didn't mean to say you couldn't- I mean if that is what interests you or-" He rambled.

They were placed in an awkward position and Eliza could see him try to think how to use his words wisely. 

"So, I have this problem in Charms and maybe you could help," She said as she looked for her Charms homework.

Cedric sighed and nodded, thankful that he didn't have to continue with even worse rambling.

* * *

Later that day, Eliza was going to the Astronomy tower for her lessons with Lupin but he wasn't there. She raised an eyebrow and got ready to leave when she saw him strutting up the corridor. 

"What happened?" 

Remus sighed and leaned against the railing. He was holding onto some piece of parchment that looked really old from afar. 

"What's that?" She continued, pointing at the parchment. 

"Harry sneaked in Hogsmeade with the help of this." 

Eliza blinked a few times before she asked, "There was a trip to Hogsmeade today? I forgot. I probably kept Cedric busy..." 

She was far from the subject that mattered. 

"Malfoy saw him and I barely saved him from Severus." Remus was being distressed as it was (with the full moon coming and his goddaughter being so close to her father) so he really didn't need anything else to worry about. 

Of course Harry wasn't aware of that. _He's just like his father,_ thought Remus. 

"So, what is that?" Eliza asked again.

"The Marauder's Map. I told you abou- no." 

Remus could see her glowing with mischievousness and he knew if she were to get the handle of how it worked, he'd be in a lot of trouble. 

"Oh come on. You don't have the right to keep it away from me. You helped creating it and have the same amount of blame as the rest of them!" Eliza whined loudly.

Remus sighed and gave it to her. He didn't even need to tell her how to work it- he already did when he first told her about it.

"I can finally see where you go when you transform." She mumbled but that seemed to confuse Remus.

"What do you mean? I don't go anywhere. I stay in my office until the night passes." 

His answer was not the one she wanted to hear. It was really easy to read her when she was making it so easy with her expressions. 

"What about Snape? Should we see if he's pacing in his office, whispering all kinds of curses to you and Harry?" She asked bemusedly before she opened the map.

"This is not for you to play," The brown haired young professor mumbled as he tried to snatch it back. 

"Yes sure. Because that's exactly what it was made for: responsibility." 

Lupin seized his goddaughter before he chuckled. She really was a little version of Sirius. 

It was a few days later when Eliza got caught by Neville and asked to help him with Potions and Transfiguration. She was confused what to do until she saw how desperate he looked (she could only guess it was Snape's fault). 

So that was exactly what she did. By Easter holiday, Eliza's notes were going around the third year Gryffindors like wildfire. She was sure some of the notes were her opinions on what she should improve while some were McGonagall's opinions on what she should concentrate on. 

Hermione was busier than ever. She even snapped during Divination and gave it up. However, there was still a lot of homework she had for subjects that were definitely at the same time. Eloza checked, just to be sure.

On a happier tone, the Quidditch final was going to be played between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Both houses were very excited and Slytherins had an unique way of showing it. 

Eliza couldn't pass the opportunity to see such a battle, especially since Wood encouraged everyone to come and cheer for their team. 

As soon as Eliza sat next to Hermione, her eyes caught glimpse of something very valuable, "How the heck did Harry get a Firebolt?!" 

Ron and Hermione exchanged a knowing look before they came up with 'given to him at Christmas'. 

Luckily, Gryffindor did win the cup. It was good news for everyone except Slytherins. Cedric came around and gave his congratulations from the Hufflepuff team as well as a pretty girl from Ravenclaw.

Wood was so happy he found it vital to beam about it every minute or so. 

"We won the cup, Liz! You had the honor to transfer here right in time to see me-I mean the team finally win! Isn't that just fantastic?!" 

Eliza's hand was twitching under the table, "Extraordinary," 

Even the players were getting a bit annoyed with their captain but no one dared say a word about it. It was his last year so he may as well leave in glory. 

Exams came faster than Eliza thought. Yesterday was writing essay after essay while now she was trying to remember all those lines she wrote. Thankfully, that one was last and she probably did well. Probably. 

* * *

Remus sighed and grabbed a hand through his hair. His eyes were sore and he looked messier than the other day. Eliza was sure he hasn't slept and a new full moon was approaching, adding to the stress.  
  
"What should I do?" She asked, his head rising right away, his eyes narrowing at her figure, "What should I do if I don't pass History?"  
  
"Nothing. I'm sure you did well. That's not what I am worried for!" He said as he gathered his stuff and put them in his case before taking out the map.

"Why are you worried? We both know da-Sirius won't kill Harry."

Suddenly Remus raised his eyes and looked straight into hers, "You met him, haven't you? But you don't know anything about him, Liz." He continued as he got up.

"He told me about Pettigrew," She begun, confusing the older man. "He told me Pettigrew is alive."

"Remus frowned, "But that's impossible! Sirius killed Peter after he-" 

"There was a spy, wasn't it? Anyone could have done it but not Sirius. He and James Potter were best friends. You told me that so many times," Eliza emphasized.

The way Remus was copping with the conversation couldn't be called calm but not angry either. He grabbed her shoulders harshly and pulled her into his arms tightly.  
  
"If he is alive then where is he?" The man started, his voice lowering to a soft whisper. "If he is alive then where had he been for the past twelve years?" He continued. "Peter Pettigrew is dead. All that was left from him was a finger. " He added, feeling himself grow annoyed.  
  
"What will you do? What will you do if someone gives you proof?" She asked once she realized Remus wasn't going to believe her.  
  
"If there is proof that Sirius is innocent then I will believe it and do anything to help him." His eyes were glistening with optimism and it only confused Eliza even more.  
  
"Haven't you believed him all this time? I thought you two were best friends." She mumbled, her head tilting to the side.  
  
For a moment, Remus was speechless. He had always believed in his friend and never once imagined Sirius killing his best friend but sometimes he would wonder. 

Sirius was a spontaneous man when he was young and during war, many changes could interfere between two friends.

"You told me they became Animagi to help you. What was Pettigrew's?" She asked softly while walking to his desk.

"It doesn't matter now but he was a rat."

Eliza's eyes widened as she caught glimpse of something moving on the map, "I think I found the proof."

Remus couldn't believe it. He had to see it for himself and she was more than happy to show him. 

"The Marauder's map never lies..." He mumbled in amazement. 

"We have to catch him," Eliza mumbled but Remus shook his head furiously. 

"No, that's dangerous for you. I will go alone." 

He barely finished speaking when he felt his legs leaving the ground.

"Fine. We'll go after him tonight." He mumbled not liking it one bit


	14. Remnant

“So, what’s the plan?” Eliza asked, following Remus down towards the Whomping Willow.

They left in a hurry and she wasn’t sure what she should do.  
  
“We don’t have a plan.” The man responded, his mind swirling with a lot of thoughts at the moment.  
  
From what Eliza could see, Remus was excited for both of them; after all, he hasn’t seen Sirius in a long time.   
  
They were one step from the willow when Remus felt a light tinge on his heart and stopped. Eliza frowned and let him lean on her for a moment. The willow wasn’t reacting so something happened early on; something that may or may not be beneficial. On the other side, it was a full moon and the hours were sifting quickly.  
  
Eliza had done it before, going through secret passageway, but seeing a grown up doing it was definitely funnier, especially when that grown up was Remus. The two hurried towards the Shrieking Shack only to hear people speaking when they got close enough. In one quick movement, Remus pushed Eliza to the side while he barged in. She remained there, a bit surprised but still not judging her godfather’s actions.  
  
Everything she could do at the moment was to be smart and listen.  
  
“Well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we?” Remus started after disarming Harry, “Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within,”He continued, Sirius probably narrowing his eyes at his old friend.  
  
“Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you?” Sirius responded in a smug tone, “I found him,” He continued, his tone taking a 90 degrees turn.  
  
“I know. We did too.”  
  
Eliza smiled sensing that she has been wrong when she doubted Remus’ loyalty towards his friend.  
  
She heard Sirius blaming the rat, which was in Ron’s arms making everything look really bad. But Remus knew the truth now and it didn’t even matter. They wanted to kill him or at least show the world that he was alive and Sirius wasn’t a traitor. Of course, the trio had no idea and for the first time since they met, Eliza was really pissed off with Hermione.  
  
“He’s a werewolf that’s why he’s been missing classes!” She screamed like she knew everything already.

Eliza moved her foot, intending to enter and finish the business they actually came for.  
  
Who knew Harry would find the passageway with the willow moving chaotically.  
  
“You are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met,” Remus responded in that certain way of his (gentle and genuine yet still sounding like he was messing with you).  
  
Sirius couldn’t wait to kill the rat and his overall personality wasn’t exactly one that would explain by itself- much like Eliza from what she noticed. It was one certain moment that she hated so much that she had to interfere: when she noticed someone else ascending the stair towards them.  
  
“You,” She trailed, her eyes narrowing at the person. “This is not your business,” She mumbled, grabbing her wand and pointing it at Snape. “You are wrong. You've been wrong this whole time.” She continued.  
  
“How would you know? You are his daughter and your blood will always be the worst of all.”

Hearing those words, the brunette froze. It sounded a lot like he wasn’t talking about Sirius but something completely different. That gave him opportunity to shove her aside and enter.  
  
She entered after him, in time to see Snape pointing his wand at her father.  
  
“Eliza!” She heard Hermione whisper but Eliza was busy with something else.  
  
“Don’t even dare, Snape.” She threatened, her wand pointed at his neck.  
  
“What are you doing? What is she doing?” Ron first asked Eliza before turning and repeating the question to his friend.  
  
“Look at your daughter, Black. She’s the mirror of what you were and will always be: a deception,” Snape started, his eyes glancing to Eliza’s green orbs with hatred.  
  
Eliza heard a gasp behind her but she didn’t have time for that. Who knew how much time they had until the moon was going to rise. They had to be quick.  
  
“Severus, please. Eliza has nothing to do with that.” Remus started, making their whole relationship even vaguer than it already was.  
  
Fortunately, Harry was as curious as his father so he disarmed Snape and asked questions, leaving Eliza to relax a bit since that could only mean he wasn’t going to do anything to her father or Remus; not yet.  
  
“Tell me about Peter,” He urged the two adults.  
  
“He was at school with us. We thought he was our friend!” Sirius started, glancing at Eliza for a moment, remembering what he told her.  
  
“No. Pettigrew's dead. You killed him!”  
  
“No, he didn't. He’s not dead and you know it,” Eliza mumbled from the side, getting a nasty glare from Hermione.  
  
“I thought so too, until Eliza mentioned Pettigrew on the map!” Remus responded, using logic to combat Harry.  
  
“The map was lying, then.”  
  
“The map never lies! Pettigrew's alive! And he's right there!” Sirius snapped, pointing at Ron.  
  
“Me?! He's mental!” Ron suddenly exclaimed in fear.  
  
“Not you! Your rat!” Remus responded, making more sense than his friend.  
  
“Scabbers has been in my family for...”  
  
“Twelve years? Curiously long life for a common garden rat!” Remus added, his eyes narrowing at the animagus who was keeping himself safe in Ron’s hands.  
  
In the end, everything started to make sense and Harry could finally understand why Sirius was in Hogwarts in the first place. Of course, that wasn’t enough to explain why Eliza lied all this time.  
  
It was a few minutes later when Pettigrew changed back to his human form and sent a chill down Eliza’s spine. She took a few steps back, remembering the man who was standing near the stairs when Voldemort killed her mother. He was there, witnessing the whole scene and he hadn’t done anything. She lounged at him but Remus grabbed her hand and stopped her from actually beating the crap out of Pettigrew.  
  
“You were there!” She screamed. “Remus, he was there when they killed mom! He was watching!” She was really angry and was squirming crazily in Remus’ hands.  
  
Sirius sighed and pointed his wand at the rat, ready to finish him for good.  
  
“No!”  
  
Eliza turned to Harry, glaring at him from the depth of her soul.  
  
“Harry, this man,” Sirius started but Harry only glanced at Sirius before turning towards Eliza.  
  
“I know what he is. But we'll take him to the castle.” He started before turning to the rat, “After that, the dementors can have him.”

* * *

Per say, the walk outside the Shrieking Shack wasn’t exactly happy but not bad either. Ron's injury had been mended by Remus and he could walk, kind of; also, Remus had Pettigrew tied and bound to him and Ron so he wouldn't have the chance to escape. Sirius was in the back with Harry while in front of them was Snape's body being handled by Sirius. Eliza was in the back with Hermione.  
  
“You are his daughter,” The bushy haired girl started, still wary of Eliza now that she found out the truth.  
  
“I’m not going to apologize. I only did what I thought was best for my family.” Eliza answered coldly, not even glancing at her friend.  
  
“You could have told us about him. We wouldn’t have-“  
  
“Looked at me differently? I doubt that; after all, he escaped Azkaban and he is not exactly the most likable man, or proper.” The brunette grumbled.

"Did you know about Professor Lupin?"  
  
“Remus is my godfather. I’ve been living with him for the past years so he knows me well.” Eliza mumbled, still not completely feeling like sharing her life story with Hermione.  
  
“But he is a werewolf,” Hermione whispered.  
  
“I know. But he is also family and I’m not going to turn my back on my family.”

That response definitely hit some sensible chord in Hermione because she didn’t say anything else afterwards.

* * *

Once they got outside, Hermione and Eliza walked to Ron’s side.  
  
“He’s your bloody father!” Ron whimpered, making Eliza raise an eyebrow. “Your father is mental! He bit me!” He continued, his eyes widening as he was speaking.  
  
Eliza chuckled and nodded along, feeling happy now that they had Pettigrew. Speaking of the rat, he was staring at Eliza with doubt.  
  
“Don't you know it's rude to stare?” She stated coldly, throwing him a nasty look.  
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t help her back then,” She should have been really stupid for that apology to sound remotely genuine. “Ophelia was a great friend and an amazing witch. But the Lord wouldn't leave his remnant-”

Remus’ eyes widened and kicked the rat before he could say something else.  
  
“Voldemort’s remnant?” Eliza mumbled, staring at Pettigrew with malice in her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?” She continued but it only made the stuffy man chuckle.  
  
“They haven’t told you, have they? Your mother and Voldemort were-“

He got silenced by another kick from Remus, the rat falling on his face and getting the hint.  
  
The traitor turned for help towards Ron, who has been his master for a long time. He was using flattering but that wasn’t enough to save him. It didn’t work with Hermione either so Peter turned to the person he could break with one word.  
  
“Ophelia was my friend. I can tell you everything about her and your family’s heritage,” He started, making weird noises from living far too long as a rat.  
  
“I don’t want to know. Definitely not from you,”   
  
As they were getting closer to the castle, one cloud shifted and the light of the full moon fell right on them. 

“No,” Eliza whispered, her head quickly turning to her godfather. “Remus,” She trailed, moving towards him very slowly.  
  
“Harry!” Hermione grabbed their attention, shifting it on the man with the problem.  
  
The transformation was unstoppable. Eliza barged inside his office and with everything going on he forgot to take his potion. Sirius ran to his friend, trying to keep him conscious for a bit longer but it was already too late.  
  
“Remus. It’s me, Liz. Please, remember. You know us, don’t you?” She started, standing right behind her father.  
  
Unfortunately, the werewolf couldn't understand anything and Sirius had to lead him away from the students.  
  
“Remus!” She screamed but someone wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her backwards.  
  
“He can’t remember you, Eliza!” Harry hissed.

With Remus being a werewolf and Sirius trying to keep the children safe, Pettigrew took the opportunity to grab Lupin's forgotten wand off the ground and unbound from Ron (hurting him in the process). However, before anyone could pay him with the same treatment, Pettigrew transformed into a rat and ran.  
  
“Wait,"

With Pettigrew gone, Remus galloping into the Forest and Ron unconscious on the ground, Eliza didn't know what to do. Sirius was in no condition to fight after his brawl with the werewolf and he whimpered away.   
  
“Harry, go after him," Eliza mumbled.

"What?!" Hermione couldn't believe it. "Ron's unconscious and-"

But Harry was already running to Sirius.

* * *

Snape woke up in time to see two students crouching next to a ginger head. 

"You! You little-" He stopped when he saw Ron's unonscious body. 

With one sway of his wand, a stretcher appeared right next to them and Ron's body was moved on it.   
  
"We'll see what will happen with you dear father." Snape snarled, eyes glaring at the green eyed witch. 

* * *

In the end, something happened, something she couldn’t explain and they all ended up in hospital. She didn’t have any wounds, only scratches but her mind was working rapidly, trying to place the pieces into an order.  
  
They all ended up in the hospital wing, Ron with the biggest blow. Eliza was the first to wake up and she glanced at Harry before she left. Right outside the door was professor Dumbledore.   
  
“I believe we have to talk, Miss Black.”  
  
Eliza followed Dumbledore in utter silence. When he turned around and looked down into her green eyes, she felt like she had done something really bad.  
  
“What did Mr. Pettigrew tell you, Eliza?”  
  
“Nothing, really. My father got caught and I should-“He stopped her with one knowing look.  
  
“Everything will be alright. You don’t have to worry about your father, he will be just fine.” Dumbledore spoke with confidence. “Eliza, you should go wait for your godfather.” He continued before he turned around, ready to leave.  
  
“Wait! Will I be able to come back to Hogwarts after everything that's happened tonight?” Her question was only normal.  
  
“That is entirely up to you. Hogwarts will always welcome young witches and wizards like yourself.” He smiled softly, a certain twinkle in his blue eyes before leaving.  
  
Now that Dumbledore was out of sight, she could actually remember what Pettigrew told her.  
  
 _Ophelia was a great friend and an amazing witch. But the Lord wouldn't leave his **remnant-**_  
  
 **Remnant.**  
  
What was the meaning behind that word? Residue, rest, leftover-  
  
“Leftover?” She muttered, leaning against the wall, her eyes watering from fear.  
  
 _“Your mother and Voldemort were-“_  
  
What were they? She was sure she didn’t have any connection to that monster. Unless…  
  
“Mom was a Death Eater?” She choked that sentence out, feeling like a great pressure just fell on her shoulders


	15. Wrapping Up

Next day, Eliza met Harry in the common room. She only showered and changed into her robes before walking out, avoiding the aftermath. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as she wanted and she met Harry when she last expected.  
  
“I-“  
  
They both started, making Harry laugh but not Eliza. In the end, she nodded towards him to continue.  
  
“How are you feeling?” He asked, already knowing the answer but he couldn’t think of anything at the moment.  
  
Eliza wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly what he wanted to ask her and she was ready to give him every answer he wanted.  
  
“Fine. I’m just fine. I’m not going-“  
  
“You don’t have to apologize for not telling me who you are. We both know I wouldn’t have reacted well. But we know the truth now,” He started, very serious and hopeful for some reason.  
  
The brunette sighed and sat on the couch, feeling fidgety. Harry sat on her other side, his eyes boring into her face. He really wanted her to say something to him, something rude even just so he could assure himself that they were still friends.

Sirius was her father and his godfather; that couldn’t bring more happiness to him really. He had a family that he didn’t know about, one that was ready to welcome him with open arms.  
  
“Where is my father?” She asked in such a soft voice that Harry almost didn’t catch it.  
  
“He’s alright. We used Hermione’s time turner to help Sirius escape with Buckbeak,” He whispered fully aware that it wasn’t exactly the place for such conversations.  
  
Hearing that her father was safe ceased her worries. If Sirius was fine then Remus should be fine, as well. It was just a matter of time for her godfather to recuperate.  
  
“You know, Remus told me a lot about their adventures in Hogwarts and how troublesome our fathers used to be,” She started, making Harry chuckle softly. “He told me we resemble them so much... But are we friends?” 

“I want to believe we are. We don’t have to be as close as our fathers but we can be friends. We are friends, aren’t we?” He asked. 

“I guess we are,” She admitted finally. “Thank you for saving my father, Harry.” Now that was a real shock for both of them.  
  
“You said it before, haven’t you? You never turn your back on your family. You and Sirius, you two are my family now.”  
  
“These are big words for someone who just met his godfather,” She joked.  
  
The atmosphere became lighter now that they admitted they won’t break their friendship after what happened. If anything, Harry looked quite happy with it.  
  
“What about the rest?” She asked, remembering Hermione and Ron. They were the only ones who knew the truth about her family except Harry.  
  
“They already got over it, believe me. If not, they will come to their senses in a few days and everything will be like before,” He was so sure of it, like they have been through that before. "Professor Lupin- he resigned. Snape told everyone that he's a werewolf and..."

Eliza bit her lip and leaned back, "It's probably for the best."

"What about you? You came with him, didn't you? What will you do next year?"

That was a question she asked herself already and the answer came from Dumbledore himself. She was a witch just like any other and the time she spent in Hogwarts was irreplaceable.

"There's still a lot I don't know. I need education, don't I?" 

Harry smiled and nodded. That was a good enough answer for him.

* * *

The rest of the days passed quickly and Eliza found herself in front of Hogwarts Express between Dean and Seamus. She already talked to Remus and couldn’t help but accept the fact that he won’t return as a professor the next year. However, he assured her that Dumbledore won’t let anyone find out the truth about her family. She could return to Hogwarts for the rest of the years without a problem and he will be there for her, waiting at the other end of Hogwarts Express.  
  
“This year has been eventful,” Dean started before going into a full story about Quidditch.

Seamus seemed to have already lost interest and Neville was only partially listening to Dean.  
  
She sneaked out without a problem an hour later and walked in search for Harry. She wanted to ask him if he wanted to visit Sirius with her later in July but she met someone she completely forgot about.  
  
“Malfoy,”  
  
“Molley,”  
  
Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else and passed without touching her. But she couldn’t help wonder if Draco let his father know who he met in Hogwarts this year.

Actually, no; she really wanted Lucius Malfoy to know she was there. She wanted to meet him and ask him why Ophelia Molley was murdered and what kind of friendship they had before.  
  
Truthfully, Eliza couldn’t wait for her second year at Hogwarts.


	16. Bonding Time

_It was dark and very cold. The only light was coming from the end of the hall. She was in the kitchen, standing at the table with a cup of fresh tea beside her hand and a napkin in the form of a rose on her lap. She knew she was there; she could see her hands moving so she  was sure it was her body and no one else’s._

_With slow moves and a blurry vision she grabbed the handle of the cup and brought it closer to her nose. It smelled like mint and honey and it made her feel a certain familiarity that she couldn’t quite explain._  
  
Eliza heard movements above and quickly went towards that direction, a direction she knew yet couldn’t see well. She was being led by reflexes and long forgotten memories that suddenly surfaced.  
  
It was just like in those muggle movies she had seen where the victim was drugged and could barely see in front of her. But she was stable and hasn’t even once stumbled towards the stairs; moreover, she could make some parts out like the pattern on the wall or the light coming from upstairs.  
  
With one hand grasping the railing, she realized there was someone leaning against the wall, looking scared yet at the same time completely mesmerized by what was happening in front of him. She turned her head to her right and noticed three men in black robes, a woman with crazily messy hair and a certain lack of sanity (she was screaming something but it was hard to decipher exactly what ). 

_Getting closer, Eliza noticed features that she could vaguely remember, like the man with long blonde hair or the stuffy man leaning against the wall. She also noticed a skinny man leaning across the crazy woman with his hands folded in front of his chest, sneering at the sight._

_And then there he was, the man with a cloak over his head pointing at a woman who was bravely facing her enemy._  
  
At some point, Eliza felt like the whole house started to sway, making her feel nauseous. Trying to steady herself, she grabbed onto the closest people she could find: the crazy woman and the sneering man. After a few words of hatred exchanged between them, she heard the cloaked man speak,

 __ **“Is this how you repay the kindness I showed you?”**  
  
Suddenly, the man turned around and looked straight into her green eyes. For a moment, those blue monstrous eyes froze every cell in her body and she stopped breathing for the whole time he was breathing.  
  
 **“I will find you, Eliza. Rest assured your place by my side is irreplaceable.”**  
  
He didn’t speak but those words echoed in her mind, coming from somewhere. With one quick move of his hand, the monster hissed and pointed the wand at Eliza instead of the other woman.  
  
 **“Avada Kedavra!”**

* * *

“Eliza! Liz, wake up!”  
  
Eliza jumped out of her bed gasping for air and sweating like never before. She was trembling all over and her expression was one of sheer fear. Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into his chest and rubbing her hair gently.  
  
“It-it was him! The dream- I was there in the back watching as he- as he,”

She wasn’t coherent but how could she after what she just witnessed. The brunette grabbed him by his clothes tightly, pulling him down her level.

“He’s looking for me. Voldemort is-” She hissed staring straight into her father’s eyes.

* * *

It was later that day when she could remember her dream in detail. She knew Pettigrew and Malfoy were there but she had no idea who the others were.  
  
“Maybe I should take her home with me,”

Eliza heard Remus say. He was very worried and he had good reasons to be. Remus Lupin let Eliza stay for the whole break with her father, in the old Black Mansion hidden from the muggle eyes and everything was going well until last night.

Since Remus has been acting like her father for longer than Sirius, the animagus called his friend right away for help.  
  
Eliza was locked out of the kitchen in order to 'be protected' as the two adults said but through some ingenious way, she connected her senses to Furvus’ so she could easily sneak in locked placed and see what Furvus was seeing, smell what he was smelling and so on.  
  
“Maybe I should thank dad for that idea, actually,” She trailed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.  
  
Anyway, she had to use her eyes and perk her ears to find out what they were keeping away from her. She hated secrets and it seemed there were quite a lot in the Black family.  
  
“She doesn’t know, Remus. Voldemort is gone and we have nothing to fear!”

She heard Sirius’ dog-like voice beam without even eavesdropping; he was really loud.  
  
“You heard what she said,” Remus combated but it didn’t sound very strong. “Ophelia protected Eliza until the moment she died. She protected your daughter from knowing a secret that could break her,” Remus whispered aware that Eliza could hear through the door.  
  
“She knows who was there. Eliza saw Belatrix and I bet on anything that she will come searching for her niece,”  
  
Well that was a new piece of information that Eliza didn’t particularly want to know. The woman screaming death and insanity with her antics was Eliza’s aunt.

Knowing that bit, Eliza blocked the connection with the eating Furvus and went in her room. In the corridor, she noticed someone moving in the back with a very nasty spine that looked uncomfortable to live with.  
  
The house elf was the first ugly face that she met when she arrived but it was still uncomfortable knowing that some little creature could sneak and even kill you in your sleep.

* * *

Eliza was in her room when Sirius walked in. Actually, per say, she wasn’t in  _her_  room, she was in  _a_  room that had the faces of the Black family members, no matter how close or how far on the lineage. She found it by pure luck on the first floor and she was genuinely curious who those people were.  
  
She had her hands linked behind her, those green eyes scanning every name and face on the wall up to recent years. There were many faces and most of them seemed very smug; like they have done miracles for the bourgeoisie, which she was sure they haven’t.  
  
Much like she imagined, her father’s face wasn’t on the wall.  
  
“Snivelly got that right,” Sirius surprised Eliza when he suddenly appeared behind her. “I am a deception for my family,” He continued softly placing one hand on her shoulder.  
  
“It wasn’t your fault.” She stated firmly, “Will my face be added to the lineage?” She asked curiously.  
  
“No. You are my daughter and you are seen as a bastard child,” He responded, sighing internally at his quick by the book response.  
  
That fact was true and every Black alive –the number decreased a lot, thankfully- would not glance twice at Eliza.   
  
“The family name will be forgotten once I marry,” She started a bit disappointed that once she will marry both Black and Molley will be names gone with the wind. “Or maybe I won’t marry,” She trailed, glancing at her father bemusedly from the corner of her eye.

He seemed to be conflicted between letting his daughter marry or not.  
  
“Let’s not think so far into the future. I don’t feel ready for that kind of lesson,” He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her out of the room.

* * *

Remus ended up spending the night and even having butter beer with his friend. Their laughter was crazily loud and her room was on the second floor- too close for her liking. It wasn’t a surprise when next morning, she found them having hangovers while her eyes were sore and their laughter was still ringing in her ears.

“Men,” She mumbled, searching for the frying pan.  
  
Eliza was good at cooking, which was a surprise for everyone because she never cooked before. Actually, next to what Remus used to make, muggle studies taught her that she didn’t have to manually do everything and she could find recipes on the telly, some more interesting than others.

Right after school finished, she got a letter from Hermione with certain shops she should visit for all kind of stuff. 

Actually, Hermione was still keeping in touch even if she knew the truth. Harry didn’t visit with Sirius still hiding. On the other side, they were sending a lot of letters to each other.  
  
Speaking of him, when Eliza raised her head, she saw his beautiful white owl standing on the other side of the window.  
  
“Another letter from Harry?” She flinched when she heard Sirius’ loud voice right behind her. “What does it say?” He asked, grabbing bacon straight from the hot pan.  
  
Eliza opened the window enough for Hedwig to sneak inside and give her the letter. She smiled softly and patted the beautiful owl, a bit jealous that Willy wasn’t friendly at all and would lose most of her letters or get them very late to their destinations.  
  
“He’s been kept on a weird diet but not anymore. Remember the cake we sent him for his birthday? It seems he survived with it and a few others he got from the rest. It seems he got an invitation to spend the remaining weeks the Weasleys. They're going to the World Cup. He says he'll write to me about it later.” She gave her father the short version of the lengthy letter.  
  
He really wrote a lot and he was looking forward to seeing her at school. Eliza’s eyes squinted in amusement and a wide smile unconsciously formed on her lips.It was nice, having friends and all.

"What about you? Did he send you any letters?" She asked before treating Hedwig with some snacks. 

"Of course. I'm his godfather after all. Anyway, how are your studies, young lady?” Sirius started in what sounded like a mock fatherly voice. “Extraordinarily well, I presume?” He asked, his tone not even once wavering.

Eliza turned to her father with one eyebrow raised, “If failing muggle studies and charms, then yes.” She responded, wiping her hands on her pink apron which she bought last week.   
  
“You’re failing  _charms_?” He asked more offended than mad. “You can do magic without a wand and you fail  _charms_?”  
  
“I do well on everything else, though; especially potions and defense against dark arts.” Eliza added innocently, like that was everything that mattered.  
  
“Of course you do,” He trailed narrowing his eyes at her.

* * *

The next few days passed with Sirius tutoring Eliza on charms because, as he very strictly said, she was the daughter of two extraordinary wizards and failing any subject,  _especially charms_ , was unforgivable.

Eliza was a bit happy that she had to write an essay of numerous pages about defense spells because Sirius was not going easy on her; if anything, she was feeling like he was stricter than Remus because  _he had the right to_.  
  
“Are you kidding me?!” She screamed when he disarmed her in the middle of the lesson.  
  
Sirius chuckled from the other side of the room, swinging her wand in his hand while holding onto his other hand.  
  
“I’m going far easier on you than my parents, Liz.” He sneered. 

He wanted her to be strong like him and never believe her place was anywhere but where she wanted it to be.  
  
“Merlin’s sake, this is  **not**  easy,” She breathed before ducking.  
  
“I want to see your Patronus!” He screamed at some point, sneaking closer to her from the other side so he could surprise her.  
  
“No, you don’t~” She sung, going the other way.  
  
It was quite a funny sight from an outside point of view, like Remus’. Sirius was crawling along the left side of the table while Eliza was crawling along the right side, towards the place Sirius just left from. It looked like children games. Remus chuckled when Sirius noticed Eliza moving towards the other end of the room and quickly jumped on his feet.  
  
“Bombarda!” He screamed, pointing at the cupboards above her, making them explode and fall over her.  
  
Eliza had no choice but to protect herself with a basic charm, “Wingardium Leviosa!”  
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow smugly when he noticed his daughter do the movements of the charm with her hand like she was conducting, and the pieces started to levitate. Eliza wasn’t stupid and quickly threw them towards her father, forcing him to duck.  
  
“Isn’t this so much fun?!” Sirius exclaimed, knowing that Remus was just outside the door.

The werewolf man sighed and pushed the door wider.  
  
“I think you should stop now,” Remus responded, rubbing the back of his neck, annoyed. It was late and he had to leave early in the morning so he wanted to sleep. “Eliza will learn more at school, just like she’s supposed to,” He continued, breaking Sirius’ enthusiasm.  
  
Since Sirius was focused on Remus, Eliza had the opportunity to get her wand back and run as far as possible from there.

“Fumos,” She whispered, making the hand gesture towards Sirius.  
  
The whole room was engulfed into smoke. In the end, Remus opened the window but Eliza was gone and so was her wand. Sirius turned to Remus with a bright smile and wide eyes. He was proud of her.

* * *

Thankfully, for Remus more than Sirius, Eliza had to return to the house she has been living in for most of her life because she had to leave for Hogwarts in two days.

The first being to welcome her was Furvus, whom she had to leave at home because he wasn’t very fond of going out. On the other hand, it felt quite good to be back home.


	17. Back

“Have you packed already?” Remus asked, entering her room two days later. She nodded and checked her watch before grabbing Willy’s cage and running downstairs.  
  
“I’m leaving!” She announced before using flow powder to get to the Platform Nine and Three Quarters.  
  
Just like last year, students were crowding the station with their parents, saying goodbye for the rest of the year; or at least until the first break. Eliza grew taller during the break, probably because she reached another level of puberty; it was very visible in her posture and her body form.  
  
“Excuse me! Excuse me,” She repeated those words, just like the first time she stepped on the platform, looking for a place to hide. Now, it was different because she was looking after her friends, beaming with enthusiasm that wasn’t there last year.  
  
Once inside the train, she went searching for Hermione, ready to tell her everything she learned about muggles and their amazing ways of doing labor without actually doing it. She also spent a large sum of money on utensils and electronics, starting with her new phone that she wasn’t truly in need of but was fun.  
  
“Have you heard? They say they still didn't find the culprit from the World Cup,"  
  
Eliza heard someone whisper from one of the cabins she just passed. Actually, a lot of students were talking about the same unfortunate thing that happened that weekend, at a large scale event.  
  
“What happened?” The brunette asked when she finally found the trio.  
  
“Eliza!” Hermione exclaimed before pulling her friend into a warm hug. 

After spending time with Sirius, Eliza has loosened up a lot and quite welcomed human interaction, being content with anyone hugging her.  
  
“So? What happened?” Eliza repeated once she sat next to Harry, across Hermione.  
  
“The mark of you know who appeared at the Quidditch World Cup and Death Eaters attacked everyone who was there,” Harry answered, still feeling a chill down his spine at the memory of the sign.  
  
“And what did the Ministry do about it?” Eliza continued to ask curiously.  
  
“They are stressed. My father's been working overtime because of it." Ron answered before sulking into his seat.  
  
Eliza stared at Ron's face before her eyes fell on Hermione,"What's wrong with him?" 

"Malfoy passed by." 

That suddenly made sense. From what she heard and saw at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy loved to show off his pure-blood status towards half bloods and muggle born students but also annoy the Weasleys.

Thick silence engulfed the cabin so Eliza quickly changed the subject.

“The Quidditch World Cup, huh? I heard it was amazing. Dad whined for a while but he couldn't really show up, not even as an animagus.”  
  
“How was summer with him?” Harry asked.  
  
The green eyed girl sighed and rubbed her back remembering how proactive her father has been.  
  
“Remus dropped me off every month and we'd spend a few weeks before going back home. He is still hiding and can't stay too much in one place. He really wants to pay up for the time he was gone but I feel like he had taken the wrobg route...Sudden duels, sudden lessons and a lot of other stuff based on his reasoning that I should be prepared, just in case,” The girl responded, making Harry grin just imagining it while Hermione and Ron glanced at each other.  
  
“Just in case of what?” The brunette asked her friend confused.

Eliza didn’t respond, only shrugged.  
  
“Anyway, how was the game? You must have seen Viktor Krum! I heard he is a beast on the field,” Eliza changed the subject towards something Ron could talk about.

But unlike what she expected, Ron was silent and didn't speak much for the rest of the ride. Hermione gave some insight if how much security was at the World Cup and her opinions on Veela but nothing about the Dark Mark.

* * *

  
Arriving at Hogsmeade station felt incredible. Eliza's excitement was growing to another level already. If Remus' house was home for her then Hogwarts was like a camp: fun and educational at the same time.

She took the carrier with Lavender and the Patil twins and she enjoyed talking to them. It seemed they have done a lot of stuff during summer and traveled to different parts of the world. The Patil twins went to India and Lavender went to America with her parents. Unfortunately, Eliza couldn't give many details where she spent her time. 

Entering the castle, the green eyed witch waved at other Gryffindors she saw and even caught glimpse of Cedric. Outside was raining heavily and the floor was slippery but that didn't seem to matter even if she almost fell over a second year. 

Dean and Seamus found her really fast and gave her a huge hug, squishing her in between their bodies.  
  
“She probably wants to breathe now,” Parvati said as she nudged one of the guys, helping Eliza get out of there.  
  
“Thank you,” The brunette commented, rolling her green eyes at the childish antics of her friends.  
  
“We were waiting for you in the train,” Dean started, Seamus suddenly sulking like a big baby.  
  
Eliza wasn’t sure if she should take it seriously and genuinely feel bad or just shrug it off.

Suddenly, Seamus wrapped one arm around her shoulder and nudged her towards the Great Hall.

"Let's go stuff our faces first and then we'll tell you everything about the World Cup." 

For some reason, that sounded like a threat. 

* * *

Thankfully, Hermione saved Eliza a spot between her and Neville. The green eyed witch looked so relieved that Neville automatically became confused. Seamus sat on Neville's right side and glowered at the green eyed witch with a smirk on his face. That was even more confusing for poor Neville.

The Sorting Ceremony took a while and Ron was complaining for the whole time. He wanted to eat already. When that was done and the feast began, Nearly Headless Nick came around and started to complain about Peeves, the castle's poltergeist. 

Eliza's attention was fully on the food and the comments thrown here and there by Dean and Seamus about the World Cup. Neville looked like he was trying to enjoy it but he looked sad that he couldn't go.

Once the feast was done, Dumbledore raised and spoke again.

“Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement,” Dumbledore started as soon as everyone grabbed a seat. "This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen-“

There was an interference. The doors opened widely and a man entered. He looked to be quite ragged and wet from the rain. He had a scowl and looked as unfriendly as possible. Even more interesting was one of his eyes, which was like a ball rolling around. 

"Right. This is your new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, Alastor Moody." 

Except Dumbledore and Hagrid, no one moved an inch or clapped for the new professor.

"Who again?" Eliza whispered, grabbing Hermione's attention.

"He's Mad Eye Moody. Half of the cells in Azkaban are full because of him." Ron answered not really caring if others heard him or not. 

“As I was saying, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament. For those of you who do not know, The Triwizard Tournament brings together the biggest three magical schools of Europe for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student is selected to compete.” Dumbledore continued.  
  
Eliza’s eyes were already glistening with enthusiasm, already imagining herself participating in such a big event.  
  
“Now, let me be clear: if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint-hearted but more of that later. Our guests will come in October and will be here for most of the year. The selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money." 

That seemed to do the trick because almost everyone became interested in participating. Fred Weasley, especially, seemed more eager than anyone.

But Dumbledore continued, "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," He said, "The Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age -that is to say, seventeen years or older- will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration." 

That was probably the moment Eliza's attention drifted from the subject. Whoever that impartial judge was, was someone close to Dumbledore so it would be impossible to go against him. 

That didn't seem to matter to the Weasley twins who were eager to attack the decision with a spell or even convince the judge through mysterious ways that they could enter. 

Once Dumbledore finished his speech, the tables emptied and students raised to go to bed. 

"Crazy business this Tournament," She heard Dean mumbled, "Eternal Glory and a thousand Galleons, though..." 

Everyone was genuinely considering entering the contest, no matter the age. 

"We have other things to worry about. Have you seen Professor Moody? Let's hope he won't end up with a personality like Professor Snape's," Neville mumbled feeling his whole body get colder at the thought. 

It was a known fact that Neville was terrified of Snape and the Potions professor loathed Gryffindors, giving preferential behavior to his house, Slytherins. 

"I would like to try." Eliza begun, startling the boys, "What? It sounds fun. Even if I don't make it to the end it would still be interesting,"

Seamus rolled his eyes, "But you were underage the last time I checked. You won't get through the impartial judge," He spoke, getting animated when he mentioned the judge.

They were already in the Common Room by then. Eliza waved him off and walked into her dormitory. Parvati and Lavender were already there, getting changed into their pajamas. 

"This year seems promising." The green eyed witch mumbled with a smile on her face. It was good to be back.


	18. Jealousy

The first few days passed in a blur. Herbology was in the morning with Hufflepuffs and nothing was really going on. Unfortunately Care of Magical Creatures was still with Slytherins. Hagrid was getting better at teaching.

Divination was in the afternoon and it was just as dreadful as before. Eliza took her seat next to Neville and drifted off for most of the lesson. She wasn't one to look at the stars and planets in order to find out stuff about herself or others. 

"You will need it in the future," Professor Trelawney told Eliza but she rolled her eyes.

By dinner, Eliza was thinking that maybe she should take Hermione's example and finish the homework before it would pile up.

"What's going on? Why is Ron looking so happy?" Eliza asked once she sat down.

She was quite late because professor Flitwick just happened to find her walking in the corridor and decided to give her some piece of advice. 'Control your wand, don't let it control you. You should have learned that first,' he said but Eliza was sure it was the wand that had control over her.

Whenever she would sway her wand, her arm would sting and she would freeze. Her brain wasn't even able to connect the functions and have her register what she was doing. With Sirius it felt more natural and she would use charms he learned with Remus but at school she was helpless. 

Therefore, she got late for the show.

"Malfoy said some nasty things about Mr. Weasley but then, Moody came up and transfigured him into a ferret before swaying him around. It was amazing!" Harry explained while Ron started to laugh at the memory; again. 

"And I missed it..." Eliza pouted before she suddenly noticed something else. "Where is Hermione?" 

"Library." Both boys said in synch.

The class that everyone was looking forward to was Defense against Dark Arts, with the interesting new professor Moody. It came on Tuesday and the fourth year Gryffindors were there early. 

When Eliza arrived, she was surprised to see them standing quietly and waiting for the lesson to begin. She walked inside and took the seat behind Lavender. Eliza wasn’t expecting anything out of ordinary; maybe a little potty but nothing out of ordinary.  
  
Eliza was wrong. Moody seemed to have a strange behavior and an eye that could see everything, even when it was rolled in the back of his head. 

He started the year with the deadly curses because he thought they had to know how they looked in order to defend against themselves. The Imperius Curse, Cruciatus Curse and Avada Kedavra; he passed through all of them and exemplified on spiders. By the end of the class everyone was both thrilled and a bit freaked out of what they saw. 

Poor Neville was probably the most affected; he still looked terrified. 

Professor Moody walked out and told Neville to follow him. Eliza could only guess that Moody realized how horrifying was for Neville.   
  
“Seeing him up front must have been traumatizing,” Eliza whispered, leaning towards Harry. 

The boy chuckled and nodded.  
  


* * *

  
By the time classes ended, Eliza was sure she won't survive another week if they continue like that. 

Unfortunately, homework piled up just as she imagined and it got incredibly hard to concentrate on anything but school. She barely made time to write letters to her father and Remus before she found herself in between homeworks again. 

"How's school going?" 

Cedric caught her in the corridor which made everything very awkward. A few Hufflepuffs turned their heads and stared.

"Homework and more homework. I've never had so much to read and write in my life. Besides, Snape's been following me very closely during Potions just in case I'd do it wrong." She complained loudly.

"It sounds awful," He said bemusedly yet there was an ounce of sympathy."The Triwizard Tournament is approaching. You'll see that this year will get more entertaining." 

Eliza raised an eyebrow and glanced at him suspiciously, "You want to participate?" 

Cedric nodded, "Of course. Everyone does."

"But not everyone is of age." She said before seizing him up, "You don't give me that hungry for glory guy impression...maybe you are a bit dumb?" 

For a moment, Cedric blinked in confusion. He thought he might had heard her wrong bit there was no doubt. He laughed.

"I'm serious. Why would you enter when your life is already so sparkly? You even became a Prefect." She continued, trying to reason with him.

"It's not about my glory, is about Hogwarts' glory. Whoever is chosen will represent the school and everyone in it. And the money, they're never enough are they? I'd use them to repay my parents or just give them to the Headmaster for the school. I don't plan on keeping all of it." 

"Sparkly and honorable. What a combination," She trailed, her eyes shining with amusement. 

"That's me. Sparkly." He joked but Eliza couldn't see Cedric getting far in the competition.

* * *

Weeks passed incredibly fast and Snape couldn't find anything wrong in Eliza's Potions. He was getting more and more pissed off with her and he wouldn't even give points to Gryffindor when they obviously deserved them. 

Defense against the Dark Arts became harder as well. When trying to combat the Imperius Curse, Eliza went last. Harry was the only one who could fight against it and by the time the lesson was done he was pretty good at it. Eliza kept telling herself that she could manage it but when her turn finally came, she couldn't hear Moody's voice at all.

"Is she alright?" Ron asked the professor worriedly. 

Eliza's eyes were unfocused and she looked like a doll standing on her feet. Moody tilted his head to the side and watched her defy his orders. However, she couldn't come out of the curse either. It was like she was somewhere in between and Ron had to shake her harshly for her to get back to normal.

"Is that normal?" Hermione asked the professor but he didn't respond. 

Everyone could leave except Eliza.

"Molley. I should have imagined you're the same as your mother." He commented, sounding a bit proud by that.

"I couldn't hear you, professor. I was all alone in a dark empty place and I could only hear my thoughts." 

"That's a barrier. You mother learned how to use it in order to defend her mind. It seems you have it too but you don't know how to control it." He explained hurriedly.

"That's not the only thing I can't control," She mumbled as Moody turned his back and grabbed something from his desk. 

"Read it." He said as he gave her a notebook and left. 

Eliza didn't dare open it after she read the name on the first page: Ophelia Molley.

Afterwards, she completely forgot about it. The next weeks passed just like the firsts and 30th October came around.

"They're coming today!" Seamus could hardly contain his excitement. 

Actually, he wasn't the only one. Almost everyone was thrilled, even the staff. The castle looked marvelous and very clean. Banners with the houses of Hogwarts were hung everywhere and it looked really festive.

Going through the lessons of the day was by far the most relaxing thing. Dinner was just around the corner and professor McGonagall was strict even when arranging her house in front of the castle to welcome the guests.

The two shows did not hold back. The Beauxbatons came in a blue carriage as big as a house, led by oversize horses with red eyes. The Headmistress was as big as Hagrid and was dressed in satin robes. She looked quite feminine and elegant and her students were pretty much the mirror of her. 

Durmstrang came from the water, literally. They came in an old, hauntingly beautiful ship that Eliza only saw in pirates movies. The Headmaster of Durmstrang was humanly tall, around the same height as Dumbledore. There, unlike in Beauxbatons, was someone that immediately grabbed attention.

"It's Viktor Krum!" Seamus hissed right next to Eliza's ear. "Liz, that's Krum! He's the best Seeker!" He continued, jumping on his feet to catch another glimpse of Krum.

Seamus was hardly the only one who was acting like a fanboy. The girls were searching for quills and other boys were trying to think of something to say to him.

Seated in the Great Hall, Eliza couldn't help but catch occasional glimpses of Krum as well. The students from Durmstrang were standing at the Slytherin table while Beauxbatons chose the Ravenclaw's. 

"Liz, have you seen him?!" Ron exclaimed joyfully. "I can't believe he is a student!" 

Eliza rolled her eyes. The excitement was fading away with how crowded the hall became. 

Right before Eliza could mutter a response, Hermione turned to her and told her about her so called cause to establish some kind of law that would give house elves rights. 

"Sure," She responded which only made Hermione grin. 

"Finally someone with sense. SPEW-" 

Eliza ignored the rest, in case Hermione would get her to have some kind of responsibility for her answer. From across the table, Ron was shaking his head as to say Eliza's done the worst thing ever.

Thankfully, Dumbledore raised and silence fell over. Now that she was looking ahead, she saw two more men had joined the table except the guests. 

"The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start-" 

He continued to speak about it and most students, if not all of them, were eating every word coming from Dumbledore's mouth. At long last, the impartial judge has finally appeared.

"This is the Goblet of Fire. Anybody who wants to submit themselves as champion must write their names and school clearly upon a slip of parchment, and drop it into the Goblet. Aspiring  champions have twenty four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their school. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage students yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line." Dumbledore spoke as his eyes, most definitely, went to the Weasley twins. 

Eliza's attention drifted again because there was nothing of interest left to be said. She was fourteen and not one spell she knew would help her cross Dumbledore's Age Line. 

* * *

"Who do you think will enter anyway?" Lavender asked on the way back to the common room.

"Hufflepuff have been going on about Diggory," Parvati answered, a smile on her face. 

Seamus scoffed, "You like him only because he's handsome..." He was definitely not a fan of Diggory's. When Eliza asked, his reasoning was the Quidditch match they lost to Hufflepuff. The whole house was quite touchy about that, especially the boys.

"No one denies his handsomeness. I'm more curious who will the Goblet choose than anything else. It's all up to this impartial judge, if you remember," Eliza explained slowly and very clearly for her friends to understand her point. 

"Well, let's hope is someone worthy. Someone from Gryffindor, for example." Seamus added with a sneer. 

The girls rolled their eyes and walked up into their dormitory before the boy could start another Hufflepuff diss.

* * *

Next day was Saturday so they didn't have to wake up early. Eliza was so content and full that she slept like a baby until late. When she woke up, everyone was in the entrance Hall, watching people get their names into the Goblet.

“Should I cheat or should I not. If Weasleys get it right or maybe if someone cracks the Age Line...what if I come from underground or above?” Eliza wandered out loud, pacing in the hall with bad thoughts running in her mind. “Decisions, decisions,” She trailed, patting her chin thoughtfully.

“Molley,”

That familiar boyish voice was one she had not missed over the summer. It was surprising that he hadn't spoken to her after his little bullying last year..

“Thinking of entering the competition by cheating?” He continued, not having any type of rude comeback.  
  
“I’m surprised you don’t want to. Aren’t you the prince of Slytherins?”

She was taunting him, just like Remus advised her not to. It was really hard to keep her mouth shut when she had such material to work with; she was a masochist for looking after trouble.  
  
“Haven’t seen you at the World Cup. Must be such a low level witch that your parents can't afford it. I bet they're-“

She interrupted quite harshly, spinning around so she could look straight into his eyes. He was alone so she could actually dive into rough waters.  
  
“My parents are pure-bloods. Why don’t you ask your father about a certain Molley? Or maybe you have already asked?” She continued, her tone shifting from cold to playful, confusing even Malfoy who was taken aback by her sudden change.  
  
“What makes you think I would talk to my father about you?”

Well, that was certainly a good question. For what Eliza knew, Draco had no idea who her family was and for him, the name Molley meant nothing.  
  
“What about your father, then?”

She tried to turn the tables around but from his confused expression, it looked like it wasn’t going to be beneficial for either of them.

“Never mind. I’m no one so you don’t have to talk to your father about anything,” The brunette said quickly before leaving the blonde with a few new curiosities.

* * *

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” She mumbled, feeling like digging a hole and hiding in it for her stupidity. “Why am I so stupid? Of course he didn’t tell Malfoy anything. He doesn’t know anything.” She continued to mutter feeling like she did something that could backfire at any moment.  
  
“Eliza!” Her head rose instantly, facing the joyful face of someone who helped her before.  
  
“Cedric,” She responded, definitely not as content as he was.  
  
His face was radiating with pride and courage. One of Cedric’s friends came by surprise and wrapped his arm around his neck, making him chuckle uncomfortably,

“This lad here, he entered the tournament!”  
  
Eliza’s eyebrow rose instantly. Saying that she was annoyed was too light, she was  **jealous**.  
  
“Oh,” That was her response, short and objective. “So you did it in the end. You just got a chance at the most dangerous tournament where the death rate is impressively high.”   
  
Her blunt words startled everyone, moreover Cedric whose smile dropped right away. Once she realized what she told, her eyes widened and she felt a knot in her stomach.  
  
“Good luck!” She exclaimed before running out of there.

* * *

“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked Eliza when the brunette plopped beside the library rat later that day.  
  
“Sometimes I genuinely wonder if I should be a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor,” Eliza mumbled, feeling even worse than before if that was possible.  
  
“Well, you do act like a Slytherin sometimes. But it’s probably because of your family background.” Those were wise words coming from a fourteen years old. “By the way, why is Malfoy glancing at you from distance?” Hermione asked, noticing the blond turning his attention to his friends.

“Probably because I’m stupid.” Eliza responded, dropping her head on her lap groaning.

Hermione glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye, curious what exactly those two talked about.

* * *

It was later that night when everyone gathered in the Great Hall curious who was going to compete in the tournament and win eternal glory; everyone except a certain Gryffindor that preferred to find that out tomorrow.

Eliza sneaked out, uninterested in whoever was going to represent Hogwarts as long as it wasn’t her. That was a bit selfish but she seriously didn’t care. It just so happened she met Snape on the way out and he firmly and harshly pulled her back inside. She glowered at the professor from the corner in the far back, her arms folded in front of her chest, feeling like hexing Snape’s cauldron next time.  
  
She got a bit late and from what people were whispering, she made out who the three contestants were: a pretty blonde girl from Beauxbatons, Victor Krum from Durmstrang and Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts. Now that was both worrying and annoying. Cedric was a nice handsome boy who was both smart and good on the broom as she heard but he didn't seem to fit the whole danger concept; the blonde from Beauxbatons was just the same. The only one who had a chance at victory was Krum, who looked like he was prepared from every aspect. 

With everything set, Dumbledore begun another encouraging speech when the Goblet threw out another piece of parchment with the name of Harry Potter. Eliza’s eyes widened, following Harry as he, more or less, walked to the headmaster.

“Liz, have you heard? Harry got his name in the Goblet somehow,” Neville informed her after the feast was over.

“Promising year, indeed.” She mumbled, her eyes still staring at the Goblet.

* * *

The night was long and the reason was the commotion in the common room. Gryffindors were insanely content and impressed with Harry. Eliza wanted to sleep but the noise was too loud so she ran out of the dormitory and hardly sneaked past her classmates before she got into the hall. 

Wandering around, she got on the Wooden Bridge. The brunette sighed loudly and leaned against the railing in her yellow pyijamas. No matter how hard she was thinking, she couldn't understand how Harry got his name in the Goblet. Dumbledore's magic was impenetrable and Harry didn't even know enough spells and charms to get past it. If he couldn't get it in, someone else could; someone with more experience.

 _“I will find you, Eliza. Rest assured your place by my side is irreplaceable.”_  
  
Eliza flinched when those icy blue eyes appeared in her mind. With how busy she had been for the past months, she completely forgot about it. 

“Who were you, Ophelia Molley?” Eliza wandered out loud.

On the way back to the common room, she felt like someone was following her which wasn’t exactly false because the paintings were staring at her, complaining that she was keeping the light on when it was almost midnight.

It was in front of the Fat Lady portrait that she felt something crawl up her left leg. 

“Furvus,” She hissed, her eyes narrowing at the black cat. “What in Merlin’s beard are you doing here?” She whispered, taking it and hiding it under her shirt.  
  
Eliza let Furvus free only when they got in the dormitory. She got in bed quickly and pulled him close to her chest, hiding the black cat with the pillow and her body. At a closer inspection, the cat had one small letter rolled to the best around his paw. She took it and read it silently.  
  
 _Dear Eliza,_  
  
Do not get into trouble this year! Do **not** enter the tournament and be careful. I already got a letter from Harry, telling me everything that had happened at the Quidditch World Cup.   
  
P.S: Furvus is incredibly smart. You should learn something from him.

 _Remus_  
  
Her eyebrow twitched. The green eyes of her cat blinked innocently before he cuddled in her chest and fell asleep. Eliza sighed and chuckled, getting soft at the sight of her pretty black cat.


	19. Shock

Next morning she woke up all alone. Furvus was gone and so were the girls. It was Sunday so she spent more time in bed, doing nothing but thinking of her pets. Both Willy and Furvus were very smart and were given by the same man so it was only normal that she would start to question his ways.

Of course, once she got into the Great Hall  people, especially Gryffindors, were still talking about Harry and his mischievous ways of getting into the competition.  
  
“Don’t you think something is weird?” Neville interrupted Ron, who seemed to be the most affected by it. He was really stubborn and talked only about how betrayed he was for the whole time.  
  
“Nothing’s weird. He got his name in the Goblet one way or another.”

Eliza rolled her eyes, exchanging a knowing look with Hermione, already getting fed up with Ron’s constant complaints. 

“I mean- I’m his best friend or at least, I was- I don’t know what we are anymore,” He continued.  
  
“He speaks like they were in a relationship,” Hermione mumbled, making Eliza chuckle under her hand. “Have you talked to your father?” The smart girl changed the subject.  
  
“No. I only got a letter from Remus in which he tells me not to interfere with the tournament.” Eliza responded like it was nothing, really.  
  
“You’re not angry. Why are you not mad with him?” Ron suddenly asked Eliza, who was ignoring everything. “Or he told you about it?” He trailed, narrowing his eyes at her.  
  
Eliza blinked and stared at the ginger blankly. Those were moments she could actually be ruthless and get away with it.  
  
“I’m not mad because I actually believe him. We're friends, remember?” She started, Ron’s eyes narrowing into a deadly glare. “Now, you can get over it and give him the presumption of innocence until proven wrong or you can be a big baby and go boil with jealousy in a corner." She finished.  
  
Her words got everyone at the table to turn at her in awe because she sounded cold and insensible. 

In the end, the ginger jolted from his seat and left while fuming. She bit her lip and realized she only aggravated the situation instead of softening it up.  
  


* * *

That was how Ron begun to avoid Eliza, just like she used to avoid Harry. Every class they had together, Ron would stay with Seamus and Dean or anyone whose name wasn’t Molley or Potter. 

However, that didn’t mean Eliza and Harry were hanging out together. They were spending time with other people and would only talk when they were in need of something, which wasn’t often.  
  
She was all alone in Potions because of the circumstances –Harry snatched Dean while Ron snatched Hermione, Neville and Seamus teaming up out of need thus leaving Eliza with Blaise Zabini.

Unlike what the Slytherin expected, Eliza was very gifted at potions and finished rather fast and without really asking for help. He just stood there, watching her do everything with a peaceful expression.  
  
“Molley, Zabini,” Snape trailed, glancing at their potion before looking at them, “Very well done. Ten points for Slytherin, one for Gryffindor.”  
  
Zabini blinked, taken aback by how well their team turned out to be. The Slytherin turned to Eliza with a smile and leaned against the table.  
  
“I heard about you,” He started, trying to seem imposing in a way.  
  
“I haven’t heard about you,” She responded bluntly, her eyes scanning the pages of her potions book.

Since he didn’t say anything afterwards, she glanced at him from beneath her eyelashes, seeing how he was at loss of words.

“I suppose your name is Zabini?” She urged him to continue by giving him a hand.  
  
“Blaise Zabini. And you are the Gryffindor that Snape approves of.” He continued, going towards taboo subjects; like her sudden pet-professor relationship with Snape. She seriously didn’t know where that came from because if anything, Snape was glaring at her and would hardly give her points.  
  
“I do not agree with that presumption. You cannot imagine how much Snape hates me,” She started, putting the book down and crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
  
“It doesn’t seem so. You finished the potion and got praised by him, adding 1 point to your house,” 

Eliza rolled her eyes, "1 point. Wow, what an achievement! Just because I am gifted in potions doesn’t mean I have a good relationship with the professor. Believe me, he hates me.”  
  
And he had every reason to after Eliza got into trouble.  
  
“You’re usually with Potter yet right now, you are here and he is there. Are you angry that he got into the tournament?”

He was too curious and she wasn’t in the mood to give details to a boy she barely talked to.  
  
“I will be if you continue to bug me,” She snapped, yet still sounded nice.

Blaise raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly while staring at her.  
  
“You do know you’re talking to a Slytherin and I could easily-“  
  
“Bully me? I think Malfoy already covered that part.” She continued his sentence, startling him with just how bold she was.  
  
Eliza felt a pair of blue eyes stare at the back of her head before something got thrown at her feet. She glanced at Harry before looking down, seeing a piece of paper folded messily with a message. She grabbed it discreetly and read it.  
  
 _We need to talk._  
  
The class finished once Snape checked Ron’s potion. As soon as Eliza got 1 point, Snape took it back (not that it made much difference). 

As soon as she walked out the door, Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Have you spoken to Sirius about the Tournament?" He asked anxiously.

“No. Willy sends everything I write in Hogwarts to Snape so I can't trust him."

That was the sad true. Remus used Furvus every time he had something important to say and Eliza was curious how the heck could such an adorable kitten go around so fast.

"I sent him a letter a few days ago and he wants to speak face to face on 22nd November. Maybe you should come as well and-"

Eliza shook her head, "That's your business. I'm sure you have a lot to tell him so you may as well be alone. I have enough time during summer and believe me, my back still hurts." 

They stood there, looking at each other in silence until Harry asked something he wanted to know for a few days.

“Do you believe the rumors? Do you think I put my name into the-“  
  
“No. I read that article in the Daily Prophet and I can't say I see you as the type to cry to sleep." She chuckled, seeing him sneer at the memory. "It doesn't really matter anymore. It already happened and they let you participate. Important now is for you to survive the three tasks. Don’t even think about winning, think about surviving.” 

She gave her encouragement before patting his head awkwardly and running out of there.

* * *

Eliza had to go to the library for another essay when she noticed Cedric.

"Hello," They started at the same time. "It seems I got selected in the end. I don't know how Harry did it but-" Cedric continued but Eliza interrupted.

"Aren't you scared? You don't even know what you're going to face." She hissed.

The Hufflepuff Prefect chuckled and leaned against the shelves, "Are you worried? Or is this the Gryffindor method to intimidate me?" 

That really surprised Eliza. She couldn't even express how offended she felt so she pushed him harshly, making a few books fall over his head. Her fingers were tingling so a lot more books fell over Cedric. 

Eliza ran out of there just as Cedric's fans rushed over. 

* * *

It was a few weeks later when Eliza met Cedric again, at Hogsmeade. She was going around with Seamus since Ron got Dean. 

"Doesn't this look weird? Us, I mean." 

That got him a light slap over the back of his head.

"Don't think too much. We're friends and we're hanging out. Stop blushing, Seamus!" She hissed when his cheeks coloured a faint pink. 

"Fine, fine." He mumbled but that got him another hit. 

They passed Zonko's and Seamus saw a friend of his from Hufflepuff walking out of the joke shop. It was Ernie Macmillan so of course Cedric was with him. 

He made a sign that pretty much grabbed everyone’s attention and she didn’t have a choice but to follow Seamus to Ernie. 

Cedric only glanced at Eliza from the corner of his eye but Eliza was facing the opposite direction. 

"On a date Finnigan?" Ernie started jokingly but Eliza's eyes narrowed.

"No, no. Nothing of that sort. We're just going around telling everyone how Harry will win the first task." Seamus responded smugly.

Both Cedric and Eliza felt awkward so the brunette scurried Seamus away, repeating again and again that he should wait for it to happen before saying something.

"Well, I'm sure Harry will win. He won us the Quidditch Final last year, didn't he?"

That was true but the Quidditch Final wasn't the Triwizard Tournament where half of the contestants died.

It was later that day when Eliza got back on her own because Seamus ran to his best friend. She was scowling the whole time. 

“Trouble in paradise, ay?”  
  
“Professor Moody,” She whispered, feeling very uncomfortable.  
  
“Come on, I’m sure we can find something for you to soften up.”  
  
That was an invitation to a dark place and she wonderfully accepted.

* * *

That dark place was actually his classroom. It seemed darker because the curtains were drawn and he wasn’t exactly a nice man so the atmosphere was the mirror of his personality: uncontrollable.  
  
“Eliza Molley, that’s your name right?” He started in a rough manner, like he was in a hurry.

Eliza watched him walk towards his desk, his style making him look like a penguin before suddenly turning towards her. 

“Well? Haven’t you grown up just like your mother?”  
  
The brunette frowned, “What?”  
  
Moody grinned, making him look like a hyena trying to trick her prey. She licked her lips and took a step forward, keeping her hands close to her wand, just in case she had to make a quick turn and defend herself.  
  
“Ophelia Molley had the same green eyes as you do.”  
  
“How do you know her? I’m sure you’re quite hoary to have met her in Hogwarts,” She just made him old yet he started to laugh.  
  
“And the same vocabulary,” He added, walking towards her slowly. “What’s left is your mother’s talent of doing magic without a wand,” He whispered, leaning in making her automatically lean back. “Well? Let’s see it, girl!”  
  
“Now? I can’t just spuff things out of nowhere!” She exclaimed, looking quite offended that she had to prove something to him. “Mom probably needed a while to control magic without a wand and I’m sure she still used one even then! That’s high level magic!”  
  
“Exactly!” He sounded and looked too excited for her liking; it was crazier than Sirius. 

Moody swung his wand towards one of the leftover spiders from the lesson yesterday and levitated it in between them, on a student’s desk.  
  
“I’m not going to kill it,”  
  
Besides, she couldn’t. That wasn’t something she wanted to learn from Remus.  
  
“Entertain me then,”  
  
She frowned, looking at Moody before shifting her attention on the innocent spider. Eliza noticed Moody lean against the desk, in a manner that seemed ignorant yet he was getting some kind of thrill out of what was going on.  
  
“Go for it!” He urged her, his single normal eye widening while the other one rolled twice.  
  
Eliza had never been in that kind of situation when someone was forcing her to do magic forcefully.  
  
The brunette took a deep breath before she reached out towards the spider,

“Wingardium Leviosa,” She mumbled, the spider slowly rising into air.  
  
She smiled nervously when she heard him laugh in glee. Suddenly, he pointed his wand at the spider and muttered something, making the spider bigger and angrier. Seeing the beast come towards her with bad intentions, she lost herself and raised her hands in front of her face, defending what was left of her dignity.  
  
“Say it, Molley!” Moody screamed, amplifying the fear.  
  
The spider was two steps from her, somehow walking on his own because someone else broke her spell. Eliza could hear him getting closer and fell on her knees, ready for the hit when she finally screamed it out,  
  
“Avada Kedavra!”  
  
That was it. She opened her eyes and saw the spider coming back to his original dimension a few feet from her.  
  
“He’s dead? Blimey, he’s dead!” She breathed out, narrowing his eyes at Moody, who looked quite proud of himself for forcing her into actually killing without a wand.  
  
“You’ve done well, Molley. I’m expecting great things from you,” He stated like it was nothing, making her fall back on her bottom in shock.


	20. Witness

When she walked out of there, she was done. Eliza was tired and her legs were trembling. She just killed a spider empty handed. Merlin she was going insane!  
  
“Hey, Molley! Have you seen the new merchandise?” Malfoy chuckled smugly, pointing at something on his robe.

Eliza wasn't really interested in what he was talking about but the badge was quite eye catching with the message POTTER STINKS. She rolled her eyes and turned her back to him.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!”  
  
He grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards him. Her hands immediately rose to protect herself. When she realized what she did, she quickly put them behind her.  
  
What if the spell was still there, ready to kill someone else?

“I just killed a spider,” She mumbled, moving her head to the side.  
  
“Aw! Little Molley killed a spidey? How awful~” He snickered, turning to his fatty friend and making more commentaries. 

The moment was not good and Malfoy was seriously pissing her off.   
  
“Shut up!” She snapped, glaring at him (at his mouth, precisely).  
  
Suddenly, his lips pulled themselves together like he ate a magic lemon. Malfoy couldn't speak anymore.

Eliza’s eyes widened and looked around for witnesses -no one was there except his fatty friend, whatever his name was.

“D-Draco! Your mouth!”  
  
Malfoy and his friend panicked but not as much as Eliza. She was horrified because she just did it again. She used magic unconsciously without muttering a word.  
  
“Sorry!”  
  
She tried to do something, anything but she was so stressed and drained that, while moving her hands in front of him trying to break the spell, the fatty’s face started to resemble a pig. 

Seeing that she was only making it worse, she gave a last apology before sprinting out of there.

* * *

The next few days passed even faster than before. With how much work she had to do because of professor Flitwick, Eliza spent most of her time in the library. She saw Harry and Hermione go around, searching for something while Krum was trying to hide in there (it wasn't working at all). She was already half done when she noticed someone sit across her. Those sparkling eyes of Cedric Diggory where incredibly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry I said that to you. It's not your fault that Harry Potter got his name in the Goblet-" He stopped when he realized he wasn't really softening the tension at all. "No matter what happened- you know what I'm trying to say." 

She looked up and sighed, "I wasn't really mad at you. I was stressed and jealous. I would have liked to be in Harry's spot and compete, just like anyone else."

Silence fell over after she spoke. Seeing how he wasn't saying anything else, she went back to writing.

Suddenly,she heard him whisper, "It seems the first task is dragons. Harry's good sports and told me. I don't know if that's the true but-" He stopped and looked down at her parchment.

"I know that," She mumbled, her eyes still focused on her homework, "Not about the dragons but about Harry." Eliza explained when she saw his eyes widen.

With that said, Cedric nodded and walked away. Eliza sighed and put her head on the desk, even more tired than before. 

* * *

The big day of the first task arrived very fast and everyone was delighted. The classes passed even faster and she completely lost sense of what the professors were saying.

Eliza walked with Neville towards the arena and sat next to Hermione who looked like she was going to faint any minute now.  
  
“Hey,” Ron started, awkwardly standing between her and Hermione, looking at everything except the person he was talking to.

Hermione scoffed and nudged him, for something more.

“It’s rather chilly isn’t it?” He continued, going from bad to worst.  
  
Eliza tilted her head to the side and looked at Hermione who was rolling her eyes at her ginger friend. The brunette smiled when she realized where that was supposed to go and grabbed Ron’s face between her hands, forcing him to look straight into her eyes. Unlike whatever the rest were expecting, she just slapped his cheeks encouragingly, more or less showing him that she wasn’t mad at him.  
  
“Let’s see how Harry passes the first task, shall we?” She started, smiling widely before turning towards the field.

* * *

“Harry Potter, the winner of Gryffindor! Whoo!”  
  
The whole Gryffindor house was elated with Harry passing the first task and taking the egg from the dragon. Eliza was proud of him too and quickly grabbed a few sweets to eat, sneaking some into her dormitory as well for later use.  
  
However, once they opened the egg, the sound it was emanating was of high frequency and it was burning their ears off. He closed it back and the crowd started to pitch in with ideas of what the next task would be. 

It was nice, having Ron and Harry reunited. It was only normal, they have been friends for a long time and went through some wicked stuff together.

* * *

Eliza was acting normal again but Malfoy wasn’t. He wasn’t mad at her for hexing him but was curious how she did it, because he hadn’t seen a wand. 

The brunette caught him glancing at her more than once during the next few lunches and he was being quite obvious about it.

That was the sole reason she pulled him aside one morning. He was just walking out of the Great Hall all alone. It gave her opportunity and she wasn’t one to deny opportunities to mess with Slytherins.  
  
“Everyone can see you staring at me and they can get ideas that neither of us want to deal with.” She hissed, her eyes squinting like she was a cat.

“What if I go tell McGonagall that you hexed me? Will you tell her that too?” He taunted.  
  
“And how exactly did I hex you? I wasn’t in the possession of a wand, if I remember correctly.” She snapped, her eyes darkening considerably.  
  
The blonde smirked and leaned in, “I know. That’s exactly what I’m wondering about.”  
  
She was fuming, he could see that through the way her eyebrows furrowed and her breathing became heavier. It was rather satisfying for the blond to make her look like she was going to explode.

“Maybe I should tell a professor about it. Snape, McGonagall or even Dumbledore would be happy to be informed.” He whispered, accentuating every name just to piss her off.  
  
“Go on,” She responded, one eyebrow rising smugly.  
  
From what she could remember, the staff at Hogwarts knew she was the daughter of Sirius Black and Ophelia Molley. It wouldn't make any difference.  
  
“What about my father then?”  
  
Well, that was different. Lucius Malfoy was quite a wicked character in the story, together with Regulus and Snape.   
  
“Scared, Molley?” He chuckled, noticing that she wasn’t scared but was definitely not content either. “Should I tell my father that a certain transferred student did magic without a wand?” He slurred.  
  
“Yes,” She surprised him, “Tell him that another Molley came to Hogwarts and she can’t wait to meet him. Tell him that."  
  
For the second time in three months, Draco’s eyes watched the retreating figure of a girl who only had questions but never answers. His curiosity was only increasing every time they were talking and it was just the second time. He could only wander what was next.

* * *

 _Dear dad,_  
  
Harry passed the first task, quite flashy if you ask me. His next task is after Christmas which gives him enough time to figure out the clue. 

 _On another page, I had the pleasure to meet Alastor Moody, who seems a bit off. He gave me Ophelia's diary but inside are only spells and potions' notes. I have to say those are what keep me afloat in front of Snape but he'll definitely catch on._  
  
Doing magic without a wand became a problem. After an interesting personal lesson with Moody, it feels like my hands are twitching all the time. 

_I don't know what to do..._

_E.B_

Happy with the sound of her letter, she gave it to Hedwig –trusty and beautiful owl- assured that he wasn’t going to send it to anyone else but Sirius Black.


	21. Research

“Hey, Liz! You forgot this!” Fred Weasley-Eliza hoped she was right and that was Fred not George- ran after her holding tightly onto what looked like a black ball.

“Huh?”

Eliza stopped in her tracks and waited for the ginger to catch up to her. Once Fred was right in front of her, the black ball became familiar.

“F- it’s a frisbee! Right...” She spoke, her voice rising an octave.Fred obviously saw through her lie. “Where did you find him?” Eliza asked in her normal voice.

“In the Entrance Hall. I think he was trying to find the kitchen.”

Hearing the magic word, the black ball opened up, showing his true identity. His bright green eyes stared up at the ginger innocently, looking like he wasn’t even real.

“Furvus. Come here,” Eliza ordered her kitten but Furvus didn’t move an inch. Instead, he purred and jumped on Fred, digging his little claws into his clothes.

“I think he likes me!” The ginger exclaimed happily.

The kitten glanced over his shoulder at his master and purred again. It looked, in Eliza’s eyes, as if Furvus was asking her who Fred was.

“I have to go to class. You can hang around Fred for now but be nice. Be nice, Furvus.” She repeated, her tone getting a bit colder.

Furvus purred again and turned back to Fred happily.

“How the heck did he get here again?” She mumbled on her way to Divination.

* * *

Furvus proved to be a troublemaker so naturally, he liked following the Weasley twins around. They quite liked him too and were using him as a pawn in their games. The one who was taking all the blame though was Eliza because Furvus was her cat.

She got late to Transfiguration because Furvus found the entry into the kitchen and unlike anything she had seen, there was a house elf that found the black cat very entertaining.

“Who the heck is that elf anyway? He’s taking great care of that little troublemaker...” She mumbled, her attention far from the subject in class.

Only when professor McGonagall threw a very sharp look, Eliza finally shut up and looked at her teacher.

“Now, before you leave I have an announcement to make. The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception. On Christmas night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost a dance.”

Eliza was somewhere in the back, hoping she won’t have to dance and show everyone that she was actually good at it. She could still remember Remus teaching her how to dance because  _you never know what may happen in the future and I won’t be there, nudging you towards a boy_. Now, that she was in that position, she was definitely questioning Remus’ foreseeing abilities and everything he has done, Furvus and Willy included.

Now that it struck her, her eyes widened and quickly turned to McGonagall. Remus probably heard about the Yule Ball and was going to send her a dress. Oh no. He probably sneaked one inside her trunk when she wasn’t looking or maybe that was why Furvus appeared at school...

“I’m not going.” Eliza firmly stated when they got back in their dormitory.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest, seemingly ready to lecture her.

“I-I’m serious! I am not going to that ball wearing a dress- Hermione!” She whined at the end, feeling like everyone was against her.

“It’s going to be fantastic! We have to find a partner and I already have someone in mind,” Parvati trailed, her eyes looking into distance thinking about that certain someone.

“What about you Hermione? Someone in mind?” Eliza turned around, cornering the girl who nagged her about that subject a few minutes ago.

“The-There’s still a lot to do...”

Parvati and Eliza glanced at each other knowingly.

“Like what? Homework?” Eliza asked, as curious as the Indian girl. “Come on! Loosen up and look carefully around yourself. It’s time you find a partner.”

“That is none of your concerns!” She snapped.

“It can be.” Eliza chuckled.

The two girls laughed before Hermione hit Eliza in the side of the head with her pillow. That night, the girls had a small pillow fight, giving out the bad energy and the stress gathered over the weeks.

* * *

It was next day when Eliza hurried to her classes struggling with a book and three parchments for Potions, her favorite subject with the least agreeable professor.

It was strange because Snape ordered her to write essays about defensive and aggressive spells that may or may not be dangerous for a student.That was how she got herself so busy with school work for the last two days that she actually ignored or ran away from most boys who invited her at the Yule Ball.

“Um,”

She barged in the classroom, most students already working at their potions in groups of three. Blaise was waiting at their table with Malfoy. She licked her lips and moved one string of hair behind her ear before walking to him.

“Right in time, Molley. I was wondering if you haven’t gotten any interruptions on the way,”

He smirked, his eyes glistening with a certain evil glint.

It wasn’t her fault, it was Snape’s for pressuring her with so much work right before Christmas. She was excited to go to Hogsmeade to look for presents but he already informed her of what she was going to do at that time; that was the main reason she vented her anger on collateral victims

For the whole hour, Snape was glowering at her table, shifting his attention from time to time to snarl at Harry and Ron or Neville. Blaise was working without a word spoken but she could see it in the way he would glance every so often at her that he was uncomfortable with the whole set up. Malfoy was probably in the best mood. He has been waiting for that chance for a while.

“I have done research on you, Molley.” He whispered when Blaise turned his back to look for ingredients.

“Did your father tell you that?” She asked, her eyes set on cutting the ingredients she had into tiny pieces before pushing them into the cauldron, “Your father has a certain presumption to lie,” The brunette continued, completely drawn to her potion making.

“No. I have done the research on my own. Granted to my name and blood, I found out quite a lot about this Molley family of yours,” He continued smugly.

Eliza was getting curious and no matter how much she was trying to hide it, she couldn’t. She eventually gave in and gave Malfoy her full attention. The blond’s smirk vanished and his eyebrows furrowed together, concentrating on the information he had.

“There was one muggle family in Birmingham called Molley but they never had children. They adopted a certain Ophelia from the orphanage, a kid with a rebellious attitude,” He started, making her raise an eyebrow and lean against the table.

She didn’t stop him mainly because that was something Remus never bothered to tell her before.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. They died during the war. Your mother betrayed everyone by running away when her friends needed her the most.” He leaned in and whispered, taunting her with what stung the most.

It did hurt a bit but Eliza didn’t know absolutely anything about her mother and her past. She couldn’t part truth from false.

“It doesn’t seem like you found anything relevant,” She responded after all.

Malfoy might have been bluffing for all she knew.

“My mother has nothing to do with me anyway. She’s long dead and all I have left from her is a nightmare.” She continued.

Malfoy leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring at her confused yet intrigued. He was curious what was her real family and why he found Ophelia Molley’s certificate labeled as classified at the Ministry of Magic. For some reason, he didn’t feel like it would be safe or beneficial for anyone if his father would find out about Eliza.

* * *

That night, the brunette dreamed something brighter than usually yet still with a big impact over her mental state.

 _It was a sunny day, that one, which was the first after a long series of gloomy days. A girl about 4 years old with short brown hair and bright green eyes was running in the garden. She was playing with her mother. Ophelia Molley was a woman whose pale green eyes attracted attention right away especially since they were complimented by her long black hair._  
  
They were both smiling happily, playing a game of chase. Everything was perfect. Well, as perfect as it could be. The woman caught her daughter and tickled her, making the little girl laugh loudly.  
  
As the mother was playfully glaring at her daughter, a tree fell down right in front of her house. She stopped playing and took in the change of environment. Dark clouds were slowly moving over the ground, the wind pushing them particularly towards the house.  
She smiled kindly at the child and grabbed her hand. “Honey, let’s go inside.”  
  
They entered the house in a hurry and Ophelia led her daughter upstairs, inside her room. Even for a 4 years old child, she knew something bad was going on. Her mother’s green eyes darkened and fear spread through her entire being. The house seemed to have gotten colder and the bed where the little girl would crawl to sleep with her mother seemed to have lost all comfort.  
  
Once the kid got inside the room, the woman closed the door and locked it. There was only one problem: she didn’t enter.  
  
“Liz trust mommy, alright?”  
  
 **“Trust mommy.”**  
  
 **“Do you trust me, Eliza?”**

Her green eyes opened suddenly only to find herself in the dormitory. The library rat glanced at her friend worriedly while making her bed, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“Are you alright? You were mumbling in your sleep,” Hermione stated, “You were talking about trust.” Hermione added when she noticed Eliza’s confused expression.

“It was my mom. She told me to trust her that night,” Eliza recognized in the end, seeing no harm in telling Hermione about Ophelia. “She knew what was about to happen but she didn’t run. She faced him all alone for my and Sirius’ safety. All alone,” The brunette continued sounding like she was entering a daze.

Hermione smiled and hugged her friend. Eliza was sincerely touched by her gesture but at the same time, she couldn’t shrug off the feeling that she had been lied to. She could feel disappointment tugging on her heart and it was coming from those four words:  _Do you trust me?_

As the day passed by, Eliza found herself in an uncomfortable and peculiar moment: she met Cedric in the halls towards Divination and he was in surprisingly good spirits.

“Um- hello,” She started awkwardly, grasping the books in her hands nervously.

Cedric raised an eyebrow and stared at her, “So, you heard about the Yule Ball?”

Eliza panicked. She could feel her hands beginning to sweat a lot and her heart was pounding in her chest. The brunette didn’t even consider Cedric as a partner to the ball because he was her friend and now that he started that subject, she scared.

“I-I-”

Her nervous behavior could be taken two different ways and from Cedric’s expression, he wasn’t thinking about the one she would have liked.

“Professor Sprout told us that we’ve got to bring partners. She was being very firm about it, especially to me. It seems champions have to begin the dance...” He continued, getting a bit closer.

Her green eyes widened and she surely hoped no one, but NO ONE, was around to witness that.

“Good for you. I hope you find yourself a good dancer then. Hehe.” Eliza’s answer didn’t seem to faze Cedric. “So, have you found someone yet?”

“Yes.” His response only made her feel sick in the stomach. “Cho Chang from Ravenclaw. She agreed to come with me.”

Once Eliza registered every word he said, she gave a big sigh. She didn’t even notice that she stopped breathing when he mention the ball. His serious face broke into a grin.

“Thank God,” She muttered, feeling like a lot of pressure just vanished off her chest.

Cedric chuckled, “You don’t have to look so relieved, Eliza. I was intending on asking you at first but then I thought you’d most probably go with Harry.”

He had the expression of one who just messed around with his mate, which wasn’t necessarily bad if he wouldn’t had beamed with amusement and satisfaction.

“Yes, Harry, no, no. I’m not going with Harry, God no.”

For a moment he genuinely looked like reconsidering his decision so Eliza quickly changed the subject.

“It will be magical. Cho is a great Quidditch player from what I heard and she is pretty and smart and everything! Good catch, if you ask me.” Eliza added before looking at her invisible watch, “Oh look how late it is! I’ll be late for seeing the future! Good bye!” she said quickly before sprinting out of there.

She ran around the corner and collided into a boy that she had never met before, a Ravenclaw.  _Oh, the irony!_  she thought.

He rubbed his chest before checking out if she was alright; only, she took a few steps back and gathered her books, her eyes never looking at him.

“You’re a Gryffindor, aren’t you? Friends with Neville,” He started in a very low voice for a boy his age.

Her green eyes rose to him and she suddenly felt like running away again. He was a friend of Neville that she had heard about before, Anthony Goldstein, a blond with brains and courage.

“Right,” She said, already thinking how to vanish into thin air and appear in class.

“I was wondering if you’d like to-“He got interrupted but not by who Eliza was waiting for.

“Molley, let’s go talk about our arrangement!”

She heard the familiar voice of another blond, more insufferable and witty than the one she was facing.

Anthony raised an eyebrow, curious why was Malfoy talking to a Gryffindor, whom he very openly declared some kind of war against. Malfoy walked closer and wrapped a hand around her, sneering at the Ravenclaw.

“You’re still here, Goldstein?” The Slytherin snarled, making the blond walk away, still a bit confused of what he just saw. Afterwards, Malfoy turned expectantly to his victim. “Well?”

She blinked twice before she pushed him back, her eyes scanning him warily, “Well what?”

“You should thank me for saving you right now. Besides, we have an arrangement to discuss,” He responded in a matter of fact tone.

“What arrangement? Have you researched my family background again and have something irrelevant to tell me?” She answered him in a smart ass know-it-all tone.

“No. Your family doesn’t seem to have anything interesting so I’m going to research what I have at hand:  **you**.” He stated, emphasizing the last word with a certain tone that he knew would tick her off. “That is why I will save you the embarrassment of not going to the ball with just anyone.”

He looked so proud and assured of what he was doing that it startled her and she was genuinely curious what was going on through his head. He was either following a well planned scheme or he was simply going with whatever was coming out his mouth.

“Are you seriously inviting me to the Yule Ball?” She questioned his motives, seriously, “What if I don’t want to go at all? I have far more significant things to do than go to some stiff ceremony where I have to dance.” She began babbling but Malfoy was already walking towards his class.

“Dress nicely, Molley! Don’t embarrass me!” He screamed over his shoulder, making her cheeks flush in anger.

“Stupid brat.“ She mumbled before turning on her heels and going to what was left of the Divination class.


	22. Yule Ball

Eliza's most dreadful thought ended up being the truth. Remus packed a red dress and sent it by Furvus. He even bought her heels and sent her make up and for a moment she thought Remus and Sirius have planned it together.   
  
Lavender and Parvati seemed delighted by the dress and they were genuinely excited for the ball.  
  
“You’re more feminine than you give yourself credit for,” Parvati commented during lunch.   
  
The girls were talking about their dates. Lavender was going with Seamus and Eliza couldn't help but laugh loudly.  
  
"And here I was hoping you'd invite me." She whispered jokingly, making him blush.  
  
Parvati was going with Harry and she genuinely looked happy about it. Ginny ended up with Neville and the whole group of girls and Seamus decided not to give their opinions on that.  
  
From the table, Eliza noticed boys from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons looking at them and she was sure it was already too late to reconsider. Actually, Eliza had nothing to reconsider because she didn't say she was going with the blond. He just assumed that on his own, yes.  
  
Those thoughts were getting worse and worse as the day became night and she found herself in front of a mirror, dressed in a sleeveless long red dress with a portion that was coming around her neck. She used magic to comb her hair in a bun and do her make up. The heels were uncomfortable and were making her even taller than she was. Overall, she looked like completely another person.  
  
She took a deep breath and walked into the Common Room where Dean and Seamus were.  
  
“Hey! Wow what a change!" Dean complimented his friend. "Your partner is lucky. Why didn't we ask her?” He asked Seamus but the boy didn't utter a word when Lavender just got down as well.  
  
“I heard from Neville that Goldstein was planning on asking you. Did he?” Seamus asked, seemingly comparing his date with his friend.   
  
“You probably heard wrong.” The green eyed girl responded really fast before getting out of there.

* * *

She was uncomfortable. In her entire life Eliza had never felt more unsure of her body figure. Another thing that annoyed her was the way she was walking on heels. She was swaying from time to time and almost missed a step down the stairs. It was embarrassing.  
  
Harry and Ron were in in Entrance Hall, now remarkably transformed into a place to grab attention or show off. Parvati and Padma were on each side, excited for the dance while Ron was looking more embarrassed than Eliza in his costume.   
  
Harry was staring at Cedric and Cho and she suddenly realized she might have escaped but that meant Harry's date wasn't the one he truly wanted.  
  
“You’re being ignorant,” Eliza whispered to Harry when she got downstairs, startling him.  
  
“You look very different,” Ron added, noticing his brunette friend in a dress. “I didn’t know- you know- that you were so-“The girls turned to the ginger with questioning eyes, waiting for him to finish his idea. “Just different! Stop looking at me like that. Merlin, girls are scary!” He mumbled feeling like his destruction was near.  
  
“Stop stumbling on your heels,” Parvati whispered, leaning towards Eliza to help her stay straight.   
  
The green eyed girl only scoffed but used her dorm mate to actually gain some balance.  
  
At the sight of Blaise Zabini and his date, Eliza froze and remembered just who was her partner. She glanced at her friends and smiled before she gave some random lie that she forgot something and ran the opposite way of the hall.   
  
Eliza just walked around the corner when she noticed Hermione walking towards the Great Hall, looking fabulous. With one quick self encouragement, she turned towards the stairs with the intention of sneaking back into the dormitory. That didn’t go very well because she met her perpetuator who was coming from the dungeons.   
  
He had another girl hanging on his hand and for a moment, she hoped Malfoy was truly messing with her. Unfortunately, his eyes caught hers and widened for a second. The blond left the girl and his bodyguards and came straight to her, his grin widening as he was getting closer.  
  
"We have an arrangement, remember Molley?"   
  
She grumbled something that he couldn't quite understand. In the end she had no choice but to accompany her date...Malfoy...Slytherin...Most annoying git of them all who hated Gryffindors, especially Harry. Life was cruel...

* * *

Walking inside the hall with Malfoy grabbed the attention of friends from both sides: Ron was quite offended by it and Parvati understood why Eliza was so secretive about her partner. Most Gryffindors seemed to feel the awkwardness between their colleague and Malfoy. Seamus and Dean were ready to interfere if she'd only wince or blink too many times.   
  
On the other side, Slytherins were standing still. The girls were glaring at Eliza with all the power in the world but wouldn't dare come up to her or stay remotely close to the Gryffindor.  
  
The first to dance were the contestants of the Triwizard Tournament, with their respective partners. At the sight of Viktor Krum and Hermione, the girls started to whisper in awe.  
  
“She looks beautiful,” Eliza mumbled, happy for her friend.  
  
“I wouldn’t use that word. She looks pompous.” Malfoy responded, though she really didn’t care what his opinion was.  
  
“How do I look, then?” She asked turning to him, a mischievous glint swirling in her eyes. “Well?”  
  
He leaned closer and looked straight into her eyes, “Not as pompous as I would have liked.”  
  
Eliza scoffed and turned her attention towards the crowd and the dancing contestants. Harry was completely dazed for the whole time and Eliza couldn’t help but feel a bit of empathy for Parvati, who was doing her best.  
  
It was a few minutes later when Malfoy wrapped his arm around her back and pushed her softly towards the dancing floor. Surprisingly, she was feeling confident and her Slytherin blood kicked in. The green eyed witch knew how to dance and Malfoy was swaying her around easily, making them look peaceful with each other (which wasn’t the case at all).  
  
“Why did you invite me to the ball, Malfoy?” She started, having no choice but to look each other in the eye.  
  
“I thought I made myself clear when I said I was going to use you as a subject of research." He responded, swirling her twice before placing his hand on her back again.  
  
“Why are you so interested? I told you already, your father has the answers.” She whispered.  
  
He pulled her closer to his chest, making her suddenly straighten her back more and wrap both her arms around his neck.   
  
From afar, it looked like they were in a tight position, both figuratively and literally. She was only a lab rat, something uncommon or very rare for Malfoy and he wanted to desiccate it to the core and find out why it was what it was. On the other hand, Draco was Lucius’ son and held answers that he may or may not be aware of yet.  
  
They were staring at each other, each with their own curiosities and in that moment, they knew they could help each other out in some twisted way.  
  
It was later on when the music became upbeat and modern that Blaise and his partner came to Malfoy and Eliza.   
  
"Somehow, I still can't understand how you two came to be." Blaise chuckled.  
  
Eliza rolled her eyes and searched for a way out, soon if possible. She did find it when she saw Harry and Ron standing on chairs like they were dozing off.  
  
The brunette sneaked away and startled Harry when she sat next to him.  
  
“What are you doing with Malfoy?” Ron asked before anything else. “You are literally fraternizing with the enemy! He’s more of an enemy than Krum!” He continued, narrowing his eyes at her.  
  
Eliza turned towards Harry confused. Harry shrugged and leaned back looking like he would like to be anywhere but there.  
  
“It’s complicated with Malfoy but I can tell you it’s all about interest.” She responded, freezing when she realized it didn’t sound well at all.  
  
“Interest, huh?” Ron couldn’t believe it truthfully, “So you are interested in Malfoy,” He stated, his expression changing from mad to amused and ending with doubtful. “You wouldn’t be the first. He plays with girls like you.”  
  
Harry’s eyes widened and glanced from one friend to the other, waiting for Eliza’s blunt attitude to appear and make the situation worse, like always.  
  
“What kind of a girl am I, Ronald?”   
  
She was still calm from what Harry could hear but he was waiting for that attitude of hers anyway.   
  
“Last time I checked, I didn’t scream like a girl when I got bitten in Herbology and didn’t moan about it for a week. Also, I am not the one dressed in antique clothes and I definitely don’t judge you after the girls you like. You are jealous and easy to manipulate if the bait is something precious to you. I am not any girl you meet on the halls and I definitely don’t have any kind of romantic involvement with Malfoy. Are you happy now?” She asked sarcastically but Ron was speechless.   
  
Harry chuckled in the back, patting his best friend bemusedly.  
  
“You asked for it, mate.” He mumbled once Eliza left.

* * *

She was intending to leave the event and go into her dorm but Malfoy found her midway and dragged her back, for refreshments. Once he opened his mouth, she was sure he was going to make the night worse.  
  
“I found something interesting these days,” He started, “Something about a certain Ophelia Molley and Sirius Black.” He whispered.  
  
“What are you talking about?” She hissed, leaning closer to him.  
  
His eyebrow rose smugly before he grabbed two cups of punch, giving her one and keeping one for himself, making it look colloquial.  
  
“Ophelia Molley had a daughter resulted from her long-term relationship with Sirius Black,” He continued, her eyes widening and her temper getting the best of her senses, “Your parents betrayed their friends, haven’t they? Such a pity...your parents are traitors.”   
  
He was taunting her with a taboo subject and he was labeling her parents just like Lucius labeled her mother.   
  
“Did you know that,  **Black**?” The way he said her name only amplified the anger within and for a fraction of second, she could see Lucius Malfoy.  
  
 _“He will get you killed sooner or later.” Lucius added calmly, looking disappointed._  
  
That sudden memory flashed before her eyes. She witnessed it before but didn’t know when and why she was remembering it now. Those Malfoys have always meddled with Blacks' love lives.  
  
She dazed off and the blond noticed it right away by the way her face suddenly became blank and her eyes distanced themselves, as if she was looking through him not at him. Suddenly, she blinked quickly and shoved him off before running out of the Great Hall. It was strange how he found out that information about Ophelia and Sirius right before Christmas.

* * *

Eliza ran and hid in the first silent place she could find: the first floor girl’s bathroom. She leaned against the sink and looked at her appearance in the mirror, feeling like she wanted to metamorphose into a rat and run out of there. The brunette could still hear her mother’s words echoing in her head and seeing her face in the mirror made her feel even worse.   
  
“Do I know you?”  
  
Eliza froze when she heard the voice of a girl right behind her. She turned slowly, her hands grasping the edge of the sink just in case.  
  
“I have seen you before! You were playing around with that Slytherin,” The girl continued.  
  
Before anything else, whoever she was, she was dead because her feet weren’t touching the ground and her whole appearance was blurry. She was a ghost.   
  
“Which Slytherin?” Eliza asked once she registered what the ghost said.   
  
“Oh, you know~ I heard he became a Death Eater once he graduated,” She trailed, swirling in the air, “But he didn’t seem like one. He was handsome and really nice to me,” She stopped and noticed Eliza’s confused expression, “You know, Regulus Black,”  
  
Eliza’s eyes widened and took two steps towards the ghost.  
  
“Regulus, he didn’t want to be a Death Eater. He was forced into it by his family, unlike Malfoy and Snape.”  
  
The ghost shrugged before flying closer to Eliza, “They were his followers; gave everything up for him,” Suddenly, her eyes widened and leaned really close to Eliza’s face, staring at her eyes, “I heard him talk about you. He had so many plans and you were part of them, part of who he was.” The ghost continued.  
  
“Malfoy?” Eliza mumbled, not moving an inch from that spot. The ghost shook her head and pouted, making her even more curious, “Who then?”  
  
“Tom.” The ghost responded before chuckling and jumping back to the windowsill.


	23. Stuff Happens

Eliza left the girls’ bathroom with another question about a man she has never heard about yet he definitely heard about Ophelia. If anything, her mother’s character seemed to have thickened even more, confusing Eliza as to who she was and what was her relationship with Slytherins in general.  
  
“Tom, Tom, Tom, who are you Tom?” She wandered out loud, walking barefoot to the dormitory while swaying her heels in one hand.  
  
A few days later and Eliza was impossible to find alone; she was mostly with her friends or glued to Hermione, who was actually with Krum from time to time. That was how they found themselves in the library, Krum sitting at a table with his classmates, watching Eliza and Hermione studying.  
  
“Don’t you feel uncomfortable? Blimey, he’s staring with everything he’s got,” Eliza mumbled, feeling like Krum might as well move at their table and make it even worse.  
  
“He’s just watching; doesn’t say much anyway. Why don’t you tell me what were you doing with Malfoy?” She whispered, leaning curiously towards the brunette.  
  
Eliza scoffed and quickly brushed Hermione off, that subject being gone and done with from the moment he called her Black. She didn’t want to see him nor speak about him, or anything regarding that prat.  
  
“What about Harry? Has he figured that egg out?”  
  
Hermione chuckled, realizing she changed the subject the same she does with Ron; but she wasn’t Ronald and knew better. Actually, being the smart and perceptive girl she was, Hermione realized just what kind of personality had Eliza: she was brave and kind hearted, she was treasuring things that she never experienced before but she wasn’t good at expressing herself and was blunt thus making her look rude and stuck up.  
  
“Yes. Tomorrow is the day of the second task,” Hermione trailed, glancing at Krum over Eliza’s shoulder.  
  
“I’m sure he will be fine,” Eliza leaned in and whispered, the smart witch quickly turning towards her green eyed friend with narrowed eyes, “I was talking about Harry,” Eliza added, a smirk forming on her lips seeing Hermione’s deer-caught-in-headlight expression.

* * *

At dinner, right after she finished her pumpkin dessert, she got a letter from a mysterious person in which she had to go in the dungeons because he or she had something vital to tell her. Sensing that it may be a false alarm sent by a Slytherin -she already had a few ideas whom, truthfully. However, as she was getting out of the Great Hall, Snape cornered her and dragged her with him into his office, which was interestingly enough in the dungeon.  
  
“What is this about?” She asked, swaying from one foot to the other as she was following her teacher.  
  
Snape only glanced at her over his shoulder, in that specific way of his, like he was doing it only because he was forced by circumstances; he wasn’t in this case because he told her to follow him in the first place.  
  
“Is it about my little slip of silver in Seamus’ Sleeping Draught? In my defense, I thought it was Flint’s cauldron and was expecting it to turn dark purple and get him unconscious for a bit,” She gave herself out, knowing that Snape probably already knew.  
  
The teacher rolled his eyes, opening the doors when they finally arrived in front of the classroom, letting her enter after him.  
  
“It has been brought to my attention that you have been waving your hands in front of Mr Malfoy and Mr Crabbe. I thought I made myself clear when I told you not to expose yourself,” He slurred, sounding quite mad but it was hard to recognize how much madder than usually.  
  
“It happened,” She explained in a vague way because seriously she had no idea how to explain what happened on that day; she didn’t want to remember, actually. “It happened,” She repeated, her eyes widening slightly, trying to look innocent.  
  
“He instructed a house elf to bring him information about Ophelia. Fortunately, I intercepted it and gave him irrelevant information,” He started, glowering at the brunette with malicious eyes.  
  
“So Molley wasn’t a muggle family and my mother wasn’t adopted?” Eliza asked slowly, scanning Snape’s face for any hint that would give him away; his face was blank unfortunately.  
  
“That is correct. I didn’t give him false information; I only retained her years during and after graduating Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy is not an idiot and would have noticed the discrepancies in the file.” He stated calmly as he walked around his desk and sat, his eyes looking at Eliza like he was on a pedestal.  
  
“But he knew about Ophelia and Sirius’ relationship. He told me that at the ball and he was quite assured of what he was babbling about,” Eliza calmly continued, already getting used to the way she would feel a constant tug at her memories whenever she was around Snape.  
  
There was something to remember but she wasn’t completely sure in what way or what would trigger that special forgotten memory.  
  
The professor seemed genuinely surprised, which instantly made Eliza panic in her head. Malfoy found out about her parents by mere coincidence, hopefully, and he wasn’t going to divulge her secret, again hopefully, but she couldn’t depend on that idea. Draco was swimming in rough waters and if he was going to drown, he was going to take her down with him; and it all begun from her.  
  
“I will have to talk to him about that,” He mumbled, moving his hands around, looking for some kind of papers.  
  
“By the way, have you professor sent me a letter to meet you in the dungeons?” She asked warily, fully aware that it wasn’t him but it was going to quirk his curiosity and might as well find that out for her.  
  
Snape grunted and shifted his full attention on the papers he found, subtly forcing her to leave. She sighed and walked around for an hour before she realized whoever set the trap wasn’t a very patient person and left already; or he probably saw her with Snape and got scared. Anyhow, no one suspicious caught her eye among the random Slytherins roaming around.

* * *

  
That night, Eliza couldn’t sleep and walked around, ending up on the Wood Bridge again. The wind was blowing softly, announcing the upcoming spring and she couldn’t wait for the tournament to be over and get home to Remus and Sirius. Eliza closed her eyes and leaned her head back while holding the railing tightly; that year has been uncontrollable and not because her magic was getting out of hand but because she found herself between a boy who was barging into her familial life and a boy whose name was making her tremble. When Eliza opened her eyes she got taken aback by the ex-auror, Moody. She jumped slightly, feeling a mix of feelings just by his presence.  
  
“Listen Molley, last time I might have crossed the line,” He started in that hurried way of his. She scoffed and took one step away from him, just in case.  
  
“Bullocks, you enjoyed it,” She firmly accused him, sneering at the professor. “You are a psychopath; enjoying the pain and fear inflicted on others; that is not normal.” She continued, scowling at him from the side.  
  
Instead of feeling offended, he started to laugh loudly, “Your mother said that before. I believe she called me a sadistic murderer,” He trailed, remembering the times he knew Ophelia and spoke to her. “Well, I am here and she is gone. Her death was an unfortunate event; she has been an important asset,” He started to ramble on his own, of course getting a quick drink along.  
  
Eliza tilted her head to the side and grasped the railing tighter, “What is it that you drink so often?”  
  
“Juice,” He responded right away, making her roll her eyes but he started to laugh again; he was messing with her and that was definitely not juice. “The second task is right around the corner. You should go rest for the big event. I’m sure Potter won’t have any troubles finishing this one triumphantly as well,” He chuckled before starting to make his way back in the castle.  
  
Eliza stood there, watching him from behind, expecting him to spontaneously vanish, like he was a ghost. Nothing happened, only the soft sound of his leg and a few swears spoken once he entered the corridors. It was the silence before the storm and in the distance, she could see it, feel it; the unexplainable was coming; that haze no one could fight against.


	24. Suspicious

The morning of the second task came faster than Eliza expected. She woke up to something licking her cheek and even half asleep she recognized it to be Furvus.

“What?” She mumbled groggily and then noticed something that looked a lot like a letter next to her hand. “What’s this?”

_Be there at Hogsmeade with Harry- Dad._

That was all. Eliza frowned and looked down at Furvus before taking a good look around. No one was there which only meant they were all watching the second task.

Eliza dressed quickly and followed Furvus down the marble stairs to the Entrance Hall. The castle was deserted except the house elves. She saw the elf that took a liking to Furvus and stopped right in front of him.

“Ah, miss! You wants to go look after Harry Potter! They is at the lake, miss!” He said and blinked those immense green eyes of his.

Eliza nodded and left the castle. When she got to the lake she only saw Seamus and Neville looking expectantly.

“They dived in.” Neville explained, seeing how she was terribly confused. “There is one person for each contestant and they have to free them while being underwater,” He continued, Eliza nodding along with wide eyes. “I hope Harry won’t drown and die.” He mumbled to himself.

“Be a little more positive, will you?” She mumbled, fidgeting nervously while waiting for Harry’s head to get out of the water.

He didn’t die, of course, and even took second place granted to saving Fleur’s little sister besides Ron.

Everyone was screaming in delight except the Slytherins and Durmstrang’s Headmaster. Karkaroff was glaring at Harry before he turned his head and saw her. His eyes widened before he turned around and disappeared.

* * *

Now that she was back in the common room, she couldn’t cease her curiosity about some tiny detail.

“Harry, what happens at our next Hogsmeade break?” She asked like she was talking about the weather.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other before they looked at Harry. He was finally gaining some color in his cheeks after the stress of the second task.

“Dad told me.”

Right. The trio almost forgot that Eliza was Sirius’ daughter. She was bound to be involved even if she didn’t want to. Besides, everyone knew she was good at keeping secrets.

With that in mind, Harry told her everything at breakfast the next day.

“There’s something I don’t get. Why is Snape so out of character around Moody? Dumbledore kept him in Hogwarts so he must trust him.”

Eliza was genuinely curious and confused. Harry didn’t know either and only said something about second chances. Well, that wasn’t enough for her.

* * *

_Eliza turned her head to the door she was hiding behind, whimpering in fear and unknown. Suddenly, the door opened and Bellatrix entered first followed by Lucius Malfoy. As soon as Eliza followed the others she noticed that Lizzy wasn’t in the room; it was empty and the broom was gone._

_“She’s not here? How can she not be here? We checked!” Bellatrix exclaimed, turning in circles, her eyes wandering everywhere._

_She jumped on the bed before looking under it but nothing was there. Suddenly, the mad woman turned towards the only place a child could hide: the dresser. With a wicked smile and growing excitement, she opened the double doors._

_“A Ha!”_  
  
The excitement died when she only found clothes and a broom that wasn’t magical. Bellatrix grabbed the clothes from the hangers and threw them all out, emptying the compartments but nothing.  
  
“Where is she, Lucius? You were the one in charge of the information!” She screamed, getting too close to his face for comfort.  
  
Unlike her, Malfoy was calmly pacing around. It didn’t seem like the child left yet she wasn’t there either.  
  
“She’s not here my Lord.” Bellatrix continued, getting softer and bowing her head like a loyal dog in front of his owner.

 _Voldemort seemed angry before he disapparated. The others followed him silently._  
  
The last one to leave was Malfoy. He walked towards the dresser and looked down at it. Now that it was silent, he could hear elaborate breathing from what was a secret compartment under the floor. Lizzy was young and sensing that most strangers were gone, she raised the lid only a tiny bit but enough for Malfoy to notice the bright and scared green eyes.  
  
Eliza watched surprised as Lucius narrowed his eyes at Lizzy before following his colleagues, not a word said about the young child hiding in the dresser.  
  
She was there. She had always been there, right in front of them and Voldemort could have taken her if Malfoy had betrayed Ophelia.  
  
 **But he didn’t.**

* * *

That was the question that seemed to bother Eliza for the rest of the following week.

Malfoy was a Death Eater and he probably gleamed with happiness and joy when Lily and James Potter died.

“So strange,” She trailed.

Lucius’ character just became an enigma.

“Hmm~”

Eliza was actually turning towards the dungeons once again when Harry appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her aside.

“Tomorrow we meet Sirius.” He stated, his eyes boring into hers with a certain glint of anxiety.

And they definitely took a lot of food for the meeting. It was insane how much chocolate pudding she had in her pockets while Harry’s backpack had chicken and other delicious food.

They found the big black dog somewhere at the edge of the village and had to go up the mountain towards a cave.

Sirius walked further into the darkness of the cave before coming back changed into his human form. He smiled widely at them before getting even happier at the sight of food.

“You look thinner than last summer.” Eliza scolded him.

“Yeah well I’ve been eating rats ever since I arrived here.” He responded in the same smartass way.

Suddenly, the conversation became serious. Sirius knew a lot about Barty Crouch and his power hungry personality. From the whole lot of information exchanged, Eliza kept silent and listened.

“There’s something bugging me. A lot of people seem to fuss around Harry and they’re all suspicious. What makes you think he should trust the ones who don’t seem suspicious?”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Liz. Why would someone who doesn’t look or act suspicious be suspicious? See, it doesn’t have any sense!” Ron exclaimed but Eliza was staring at her father.

Sirius sighed and leaned towards her, “Had something odd happened to you? Your owl doesn’t send any letters and I’ve had to use Furvus here and there.”

At the mention of the kitten,her eyes darkened, “About that-”

But Sirius blinked innocently at her before turning to Harry and urging them to leave. Eliza glared at the black dog for the whole way back and wasn’t particularly keen on patting him as a goodbye.

* * *

“Lately, many odd things happened.” Eliza mumbled during Potions. She was alone at her table after Blaise was forced to move after Neville’s potion exploded.

“Molley, I don’t care what happens in your life. Do us a favor and concentrate. We don’t need another explosion.” Snape snarled, his eyes moving to Neville for a second.

Eliza scoffed louder than she was intending to, drawing Snape’s attention again.

“10 point from Gryffindor.” He said, sounding very pleased.

“I wish mom’s diary had some dirt on you, professor ass-whack.” She mumbled while hiding her face behind the cauldron.

He didn’t hear her. Besides, Snape wasn’t one of the not suspicious suspicious people she had in mind. Especially not after taking another 10 points from Gryffindor.

* * *

One particular night in March was weirder than ever before. Speaking about Crouch and Bagman seemed to have an effect of Eliza. She went to sleep that night and had such a weird dream.

_It was cold and mist was flying around her. Eliza was in what looked like the Forbidden Forest and she wasn’t alone._

_“You’re not fit for this mission, Lucius.” The voice of a stranger begun._

_Lucius Malfoy was standing in front of that stranger, facing the spot Eliza was in. She frowned and walked closer. Her green eyes surveyed the clearing but no one was there except the blond and the skinny guy._

_“She was my responsibility. No one knows her better than I do.” Lucius hissed back._

_The skinny stranger clicked his tongue, “Are you letting personal feelings interfere with our work, Lucius? Don’t forget that Ophelia abandoned you for Sirius Black. She has his baby.”_

_Lucius Malfoy looked ready to kill but didn’t move an inch._

_“I will not discuss my former businesses with you, Crouch.”_

_Eliza’s eyes widened and walked closer to the two. She was one step behind the stranger when he spun around and hissed, “Not this time, you traitor.”_

Eliza woke up with a loud scream. That face, that conversation and the term he used...traitor.

Fortunately no one woke up when she screamed. Lavender moved only to roll on her other side. Eliza searched for Furvus and found him staring at her with worry. He crawled up into her bed and purred lowly before curling up next to her.


	25. Alone

The nightmare shook her up more than she expected. She was staring at her untouched food, she was making a lot of mistakes in class and she almost lost another 30 points in Potions if it wasn’t for Blaise.

“Are you alright? You’re making a lot of mistakes lately and I can’t save your ass for longer.” Zabini muttered after class.

“Then don’t. I’m sure Malfoy waits for a chance to make fun of me.” She snarled as she grabbed her bag and walked towards the door.

“He’s surprisingly silent when the girls talk about you.” He informed, making her roll her eyes.

“Wow. I didn’t even appear in the newspaper yet and spend precious time gossiping about me.” She retorted sarcastically.

Blaise chuckled, “Not yet.”

She wasn’t worrying about that with how anonymous was her family name. Still, why was she having that nightmare? It couldn’t be a memory because Ophelia was in hiding back then so who was the traitor? Who was spying on them?

“It’s frustrating!” She moaned, stomping her feet on the ground.

“Are you alright?”

Eliza could recognize that voice anywhere.

“Cedric. I’m surprised you can see anything except your girlfriend.” She started bitterly.

Eliza wasn’t really angry but she was stressed and her nights were spent lately with Furvus, scratching him while waiting for the hours to pass.

“I can see you well in the halls. You’re always hurrying somewhere. I also noticed the black kitten lurking around you.” He said, sounding very pleased with himself.

The brunette calmed down and looked up into his sparky eyes, “Sorry. It’s just really hard to sleep these days and Potions...”

That seemed to make sense. Cedric walked with Eliza until they got in front of the Great Hall. People were staring at a howler that was screaming stuff at Hermione.

“Well, see you around.” Cedric muttered before going to his table.

Eliza went and sat down next to the bushy haired girl. The howler stopped by now and silence fell between them.

“So you’re still getting hate-mail?” Eliza started like it was nothing.

Hermione sighed but Eliza noticed her hands twitching under the table, “That’s not important. Last night, Krum was stunned by Barty Crouch and then he disappeared.” The bushy haired girl whispered.

Eliza froze. She could still hear Malfoy’s voice saying that name. Then, she remember Crouch’s son had been locked in Azkaban for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But what if he wasn’t? What if he was supposed to be there?

For the rest of the day, she couldn’t concentrate where she was going moreover what was being discussed around her. They had Divination later on and Eliza arrived there earlier than expected, by coincidence.

“Ah, my dear Eliza. Come in, come in. You’re here quite early, had something happened?” Professor Trelawney asked as she tilted her head to the side and leaned closer, watching Eliza through her big round spectacles.

For a second, brief minuscule second, Eliza genuinely considered telling Trelawney about her dream but decided not to.

“Nothing happened, professor.” She responded, taking a seat as far as possible from the professor.

The others came in a few minutes later and Seamus sat next to her while Neville and Dean sat in front of them. From their bored expressions, they were more than happy to get it over with and do something else. The room was warm and the whole atmosphere felt done for hypnosis. Professor Trelawney lifted from under her chair a miniature solar system, contained with a glass dome. It looked entrancing, especially when she was pointing out stuff between the planets.

“I think I’ll fall asleep any minute now,” Seamus said before he yawned. He glanced at Eliza but the brunette was staring at the miniature without blinking. “Hey. Are you alright? You look scary like that.”

But Eliza didn’t respond. She entered this mesmerizing corner in her mind and couldn’t- or didn’t want to- wake up.

_“You don’t know anything! You have no idea what it feels like!” That was definitely Ophelia voice. She was screaming at a man that looked a lot older than she was._

_The man didn’t say anything but signed to two other men behind him, “Lock her in her room.” He finally said._

_Eliza shuddered at the coldness in his voice. It felt like he was breathing ice and instead of scattering through the room, it was going straight at Eliza._

_Ophelia was squirming in their holds with amazing power but that didn’t help much. The two men dragged her through a door in the far left and she started to scream._

_“You won’t have her! You won’t have the chance to even look at her! I hate you!”_

_It was terrifying and Eliza was confused what happening exactly. Her answer came when Bellatrix Lestrange walked inside the room._

_“She’s not going to tell us anything about the others. Maybe we should try torture, my Lord. I would be more than happy to-” She stopped in her tracks and looked scared._

_“You do not touch her.” He hissed, showing anger for the first time. “What about Lucius? Has he found anything at the Ministry?”_

_“He’s still looking my lord.” She responded, her wide eyes looking down at her hands. She was really submissive now._

_A sudden crash upstairs surprised Eliza. She let the two in the hall and walked up the stairs, the same way they went with Ophelia. The noise was getting louder as she was getting closer, until finally Eliza arrived in front of the door towards the attic._

_Ophelia was leaning against the locked door, crying, “I hate you, Tom. I regret ever meeting you. I regret everything, so much blood, so much!”_

_Eliza froze. It was heartbreaking yet at the same time, hearing Ophelia say tom’s name was even more shocking. That meant the man downstairs was Tom but Bellatrix was completely submissive and terrified of him. Tom’s voice was so cold and it reminded her of the voice she’s been dreaming for her whole life._

_Eliza turned around quickly and ran back into the large hall. No one was there anymore and the curtains were drawn. Eliza felt a chill down her spine and spun around, coming face to face with those icy blue eyes._

_“Voldemort.” She whispered before a flash of green blinded her._

Her green eyes suddenly opened, surprising whoever was standing beside her bed.

“You scared me, Molley.” He mumbled, his eyes scanning the room like he wasn’t supposed to be there.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, looking around. “Where am I?”

“You fainted during Divination. You should have seen Potter’s face when you called for me.” He mumbled bemusedly, shifting in his seat. “You were saying my name in your sleep.” He continued, feeling extremely uncomfortable now that she was awake.

Eliza’s eyes moved on him, remembering her dream and what Malfoy she was probably calling out for. But she couldn’t tell him that and from what she could see, he didn’t know anything.

“Well, you can leave now. It’s not like what happens to me matters or bothers you in any way.” She sighed before getting up and leaning against the mattress.

He left but her Gryffindor classmates entered a few minutes later. Lavender sat next to her while the rest scattered all around the bed.

“You should have seen your eyes...not blinking and staring ahead as if you were stunned. And then, you just screamed and fainted on my shoulder. Besides, Harry-”

Eliza’s eyes widened, “What happened to Harry?”

“He fainted too, ” Neville answered, looking far more worried than the rest. “But he woke up unlike you. He’s fine, only got a headache.”

She licked her lips and lied back, feeling mentally tired.

“By the way, exams are coming and we thought we could, you know, borrow your notes in Potions.” Seamus added, getting a light hit from his best friend. “We are very desperate to pass without getting poisoned or worse.” He continued, everyone nodding along.

Eliza chuckled and agreed.

* * *

Eliza got back in the common room a lot later, it was almost midnight. She found the trio still speaking and Harry filled her in with everything new. Of course, that meant she had to tell them why she fainted as well.

“It was my mom. I don’t know what’s her connection to Voldemort. She got dragged and locked in her room because she wouldn’t agree with him. She was crying so much, it was heartbreaking.”

Harry seemed to understand that better than anyone. He didn’t say anything afterwards but wrote her dream in his letter as well.

* * *

Exams really came quick and the last one was right on the day of the third Task. Eliza saw Harry researching hexes in the library and chuckled to herself.

On the day before the third task, something strange happened. She had the same dream as the one in Divination but instead of going back into the hall, Eliza walked right through the door, entering Ophelia room.

_She gasped when she saw how blank it was. She had absolutely nothing which only meant she hadn’t lived there for more than a few weeks. Ophelia was pacing in front of the window instead of crying and she looked worried. At long last, an owl flew inside through the window and Eliza had to raise on her tip toes in order to read it over Ophelia’s shoulder._

_I find it outrageous that you did not inform me first about your pregnancy. You can come and hide here for the time being but I expect you will not expose me. That fickle minded boyfriend of yours already knows and I will not accept him inside my house. For me to be your Secret Keeper, you need to follow exactly what I say. I’ll be waiting- Severus._

**Severus?!**

_Eliza gasped. She looked at her mother’s relieved face before reading the letter again. **That fickle minded boyfriend of yours already knows.** He must have meant Sirius. What did he know? That she was pregnant? Was that even a secret?_

Eliza woke up with even more questions and she couldn’t even revise properly. She walked past a classroom and heard someone rambling about a solution or something. The brunette was ready to sneak in and eavesdrop when she saw blond hair walk around the corner.

“Molley!” He screamed, looking quite please about something.

Eliza glanced at the classroom but it became silent.

“Well? Is Potter ready to lose?” He asked, making small talk for some unknown reason.

“He’s done well until now. He will definitely not lose.” Eliza mumbled, biting her bottom lip in concentration.

Now that she was thinking about it, it did go quite smoothly for Harry. If anyone wanted to kill him, they were doing a very poor job because everyone around him was trying to help.

“It’s been suspicious from the day his name got picked by the Goblet.” Malfoy continued, sneering at the end yet he wasn’t wrong at all.

Eliza’s eyes widened, “You’re right. It is suspicious how everyone suspicious did nothing.”

She was moving around, pacing back and forth, sharing her ideas and getting Malfoy entangled into her little web. Someone was playing with Harry, making him a pawn in a wicked game.

“What if he didn’t mean for Harry to die?” She wondered, “What if there’s something else going on? He’s not stupid at all and if he has orders, he’ll act exactly like his master wants.” She continued, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Suspicious things happen around the castle; suspicious things that are not connected to Harry at all...”

“What are you talking about? Have you finally gone bonkers after spending time with Weasley?” Draco chuckled but Eliza couldn’t hear him.

“I have to see Snape,” She stated out of nowhere, taking Malfoy by surprise since he never believed the rumors about her and the Potions professor.

That was the sole reason why he followed her when she ran, her intention to get as fast as possible to the dungeons. Unfortunately, having Draco right behind was grabbing unnecessary attention. Eliza was ready to turn the corner towards the stairs when someone grabbed her hand and pulled her back harshly.

“What are you doing Malf-“

Once she turned her head around, she didn’t see a boy but a man, one that had one eye roll while the other was glaring at her.

“Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

* * *

“You’re not Alastor Moody, are you?” She started, being roughly taken into the Astronomy Tower.

“We’re not there yet, little girl,” His voice was definitely different from the usually angry voice of Moody. If anything, he sounded quite crazy, more like a psychopath than before.

Because he was pushing her from behind, Eliza couldn’t see him well until the moment he literally threw her inside the Astronomy Tower. That was the moment she took a good look at his face and saw skin differences. Clearly, whoever he was looked nothing like Moody.

“I tried to keep you safe, you know,” He started, using the closest object as a seat. “But you are just so keen on finding out the truth.” He searched inside his jacket for the bottle he was carrying around before taking it out and drinking from it.

“That’s a potion, isn’t it? That’s why you need to drink it regularly,”

He stopped and sighed heavily, “Polyjuice Potion; never disappoints,” He commented before putting the bottle back and getting up. “Your relationship with Draco Malfoy surprised me, I have to say. After all, his father helped find Ophelia during her little runaway. I had high hopes for you, Eliza, but it seems you don’t want to live a long life.”

“Because I don’t want to kill? Excuse me for not being a cold blooded Death Eater.” She hissed, looking just like a cat ready to lash at a stranger. “You did it, didn’t you? You got Harry’s name in the goblet for some sadistic reason.”

“You still don’t know who I am, do you?” He asked bemusedly, his tongue again licking the side of his mouth while his nose got back to Moody’s. “Does the name Barty Crouch tell you something?”

Eliza’s green eyes widened yet not because she was surprised but because he told her that himself. He wasn’t stupid so why was he openly giving out his real identity?

“You know I can go to Dumbledore and tell him the truth right now,” She started, taking one step towards the door. He copied her action only he walked towards her rapidly and hovered over her.

“You won’t. You want to find out who was your mother, don’t you? And most importantly, what was her connection to Voldemort.” He taunted her.  
  
“She wasn’t a Death Eater. She hated him.” At least she knew that for sure.  
  
“She didn’t have to. Ophelia was never supposed to be a Death Eater as long as she would accept every mission given to her. And then, she ran away when he found out the truth.” He was very chatty for a man who was trying to mess with her life.  
  
“What is the truth?” She asked, getting lured into his words.  
  
The false Moody chuckled and leaned back, grabbing his wand before pointing it at her.   
  
“That is a story for  _him_  to tell you,” He smirked before screaming, ”Crucio!” Sending her a few feet back, her eyes widen in horror.  
  
Eliza’s spine bent upwards, her hands trembling and her legs feeling like jelly. The pain was real and unknowingly to her, it was only the beginning.

* * *

Eliza Black was unconscious for the whole time of the third and last task of the Triwizard Tournament. She wasn’t aware of anything that might or might not have happened during the maze because she has been unconscious for the next five days.  
  
“Do you know who attacked her?” Hermione asked, sitting next to Eliza’s sleeping body.  
  
“Probably Barty Crouch Jr.” Ronald mumbled, getting one jelly from the multitude she had at her feet. "Sirius must be really mad. He looked like he was going to bite someone when he saw her on the bed, unconscious."

"But why did he attack her? Is it possible she found out the truth?" Hermione asked Harry who looked as confused as everyone.

When Harry Potter got in the Hospital Wing, Eliza was already there, found in the hall by Dobby. That took everyone aback, especially Sirius. However, if her father looked mad, Harry was surprised to see Eliza's black cat look even madder, ready to kill whoever attacked her.  

“Do you think she knows?” Hermione asked warily.  
  
“I know what I have seen, Hermione. It was him. He’s back and Pettigrew told him she’s alive.”  
  
Harry’s eyes were locked on Eliza’s face. He could still hear Dumbledore’s words:  _Eliza shall never know her connection to Voldemort, especially because it is not hers but her mother’s._  
  
He wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean but he wanted to find out. Eliza was his friend. 

* * *

 _“Eliza, Eliza please wake up.”  
  
That was a voice she almost forgot she knew: Ophelia’s. Once Eliza opened her eyes, her mother’s face appeared in front of her with a bright smile.  
  
“My daughter, you look just like a mix of me and Sirius.” She chuckled, her own green eyes beaming with happiness.  
  
“What happened to me?” The younger girl asked her mother, her chest hurting like nothing she ever felt before.  
  
“You had been hit with the cruciatus curse but you’re alright. It just takes your body longer to forget the pain but the actual pain is gone,” Her voice was soft. “Listen to me Eliza, you have to protect yourself because no one else will. You are alone no matter how many friends you make. You will always be alone.”  
  
“That doesn’t sound positive at all.”  
  
Ophelia couldn’t help but chuckle at her daughter’s response. It was like looking at herself in the past. If Eliza was going to take the same path she was going to live through bigger pains than the deadly curses.  
  
“Do you trust me, Eliza?” Ophelia asked just like in the other dreams, her voice echoing around.  
  
“Vaguely,” The student responded, her mother frowning. “How can I trust you when everything I know about you for sure is that you are my mother?”  
  
“Then trust Severus,” She started, her eyes narrowing slightly in concentration. “Trust Severus and Lucius; they have saved you before and will do it again. But Liz, you only protect yourself - no one else, not even Harry. You are alone and no one can help you but yourself.” She was careful to emphasize that word that Eliza disliked:  **alone.**_  
  
It was a gloomy morning when Eliza opened her eyes. The trio wasn’t there unfortunately, no one was. Then her mother's advice rung through her ears:  _Trust Severus and Lucius; they have saved you before and will do it again._ Now, how did that happen?


	26. Believe

It was a beautiful night in London. The moon was hiding between the clouds but a few sparkles of light had enough power to illuminate the ground. It was a perfect night for a ride on the broom, concealed from the muggle eyes.

In the air, Eliza had more time to think. She could still remember the ride back to London in the Hogwarts Express.

_“What?!” Eliza just entered to see how was the trio when Hermione told her to sit and listen. “What do you mean Voldemort is back?”_

_Harry scratched the back of his head and leaned back, “I saw him, Liz. He looks terrible but he’s growing stronger. The cup was a portkey and once we touched it, we found ourselves in a graveyard. He was there.”_

_Eliza was speechless until she realized something, “Now that you mention it, where is Cedric? I’ve been out for a while and we had to leave before I got the chance to see him.”_

_The trio looked at each other before Hermione turned to her with a sorrowful expression._

_“He’s dead. Voldemort killed him.”_

_Eliza blinked twice before she closed her eyes, tears forming in the corners. Voldemort killed Cedric so easily, it was sickening._

_For the rest of the ride home, Eliza stood in her corner and looked out the window. She couldn’t believe Cedric Diggory was dead; not him. He helped her when they were in the library in Eliza’s first year at Hogwarts and he actually continued to show interest in a possible friendship. Unfortunately no owl will come with a Happy Birthday in June, not from Cedric._

Now, it’s been a month already and she couldn’t help but feel bad. Her birthday passed, June 10th, and no matter how lively it was or how Remus decided to actually let Eliza go and have a one day fun with her friends, it was still sad.

“He died for nothing.” Eliza mumbled, wipping her tears with her sleeve.

Eliza’s days with Sirius passed incredibly fast and everything she could think of was how to improve her offensive techniques. Sirius did find out what happened to her but she didn’t tell him about the last dream she had.

She took a sudden turn at the next intersection, flying past the Buckingham Palace before returning home. The wind picked up right when she landed and swayed her hair lightly; it grew a lot. 

Sirius opened the front door right when she stepped in front of it, startling her when he suddenly pulled her inside. He wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders and led her towards the kitchen.

“How long do you think this is going to last?” She asked when they entered the kitchen, each taking a seat at the table.

“I plan to stay here for a while. No one cand find me here. No one would even look for me here, actually.”

“What about Voldemort?” She asked, looking straight into his eyes.

Sirius’ loose smile dropped instantly, “It can take a day or it can take a number of years until he shows his face.” He started, playing with his fingers nervously.

“Do you believe him?” Eliza already knew the answer but she wanted to hear it from him.

“I don’t know. But if it’s true, we have to be ready.” He was really blunt with her yet when Remus asked, he was running around the bush. “Do  **you**  believe him?” He turned it to her.

Eliza’s eyes hardened and rose to her father, “Yes. It’s been so well planned out by someone with a lot of time in their hands. Who if not Voldemort? Besides, things happened...”

“What kind of things?” Sirius asked leaning over the table towards her.

He was curious from a number of reasons but the thought that she met a Death Eater as dangerous and spontaneous as Barty Crouch Jr was scary.

Eliza rubbed her eyes sleepily feeling tired after flying around, “He said he tried to keep me safe, that he had high hopes for me. Then, I had these weird dreams...” She mumbled, still remembering them in detail.

“What dreams? I know about one but what about the others?” He asked, one eyebrow raised in interest.

Eliza didn’t say anything nor gave any sign that she found out something very important about her mother but Sirius knew.

“Did you trust mom?” She asked fidgeting.

He took a long breath in before leaning back and sighing heavily. His daughter was a blunt person who couldn’t express her thoughts and feelings well yet her face was pretty much giving it away. But that was not the case now.

“I did. Even when I knew she was lying, I trusted her. Eliza, your mother had her own share of secrets, especially about her lige before Hogwarts but we never asked her. We waited for her to open up and tell us what she was comfortable with. I knew she never told me everything and I got jealous a lot from childish causes but she never looked at me differently. For her, I wasn’t a Black or a deception to a pure blooded family. I was just Sirius and she was just Ophelia and I was happy with that.”

When he finished his long explanation, deep and touching as he had never been before, she suddenly remembered her dream with her mother.

“She ran away during the war.” Eliza stated knowing that part was not a lie.

“She ran away because she was pregnant with you not because she was a coward. Ophelia was one of the most dimwitted women I had ever met, going into the battle head first. She wouldn’t had ran away if it wasn’t for your safety.” Sirius reassured her.

But there was so much more and Eliza was curious if Sirius knew about Snape.

“What if I can’t trust her?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

Her heart wasn’t clenching anymore at the memory of those older green eyes; if anything, she was feeling betrayed. Eliza didn’t tell Sirius even half of what she found out about Ophelia and she wasn’t going to, not when everything was still blurry. There was one person who could give her what she wanted and that person was questionable.

That question remained hanging in the air, Sirius being too scared to give a response because it was only going to backfire later on. In those times, he really wished he could tell her absolutely everything or have Remus explain it to her. Being a parent was so difficult.

Thankfully, Eliza got absorbed by her training and didn’t ask anything about her mother anymore. Sirius was still curious what she knew but was pushing the questions in the back of his mind seeing her getting good at Charms and especially Defense against the Dark Arts.

“You still didn’t show me your Patronus,” He trailed one day, leaning against the wall watching her try a spell without a wand.

Eliza smirked and pointed her wand at her father, raising an eyebrow before muttering the words, “Expecto Patronum!”

The familiar shape of a wolf appeared before Sirius, contorting until it finally resembled a werewolf. Sirius’s face was blank, still registering what was moving around him, sniffing warily before jumping towards Eliza. When he finally realized  _that_  was her Patronus form, he laughed. It’s been probably years since he laughed with so much joy and bemusement.

“Remus must have gone bonkers when he saw it!” He commented, wiping the falling tears from his cheeks.

“He tried to change the form but it is my Patronus and only my memories matter so,” She shrugged innocently making her father laugh even louder, startling the house elf.

The animagus walked to his daughter and hugged her, leading her back into the corridor with his arms wrapped around her, forcing her to walk backwards.

“By the way,” He started after he let go of her, “We will have guests tonight.”

Her eyes widened and glanced at the front door, already sensing how crowded the hall was going to be.

“Who?” She asked curiously, sitting near the window just in case. She noticed his hand slipping towards his wand and shifted on the edge of the seat, ready to sprint if she had to.

“The Order,” He whispered, smirking by just imagining how happy she was going to be in a few hours.

Eliza blinked, “Is that a cult or something?”

“Or something,” He responded bemusedly, enjoying her expressive face.

* * *

That night, Eliza prepared herself mentally for whoever was coming to visit. She watched with surprise when the knocks begun and one after another, men and women invaded the house feeling as grumpy as the house elf. Actually, now that she spent so much time in the Black household, she got friendly with what was supposed to be a helpful hand but was actually one sly little evil elf. Even Sirius was surprised how Eliza started to talk to the elf about the pure blood family.

“Can you get the door, Liz?” Sirius screamed from the kitchen since she was already half into the hall.

Eliza glowered at the empty spot before grumpily walking towards the door, the noise growing with the number of the guests. Once she opened the door, her mood changed drastically.

“Remus!” She exclaimed happily before her eyes moved on the woman who was standing next to her godfather, “And a woman,” She trailed, her smile changing into a playful smirk.

She let them inside with a huge smirk.

“Don’t even start,” Remus mumbled, falling behind so he could talk to his goddaughter alone.

“When did you meet her?” She changed the subject but only slightly, “After I came to stay with dad?” She continued, her eyes narrowing slightly in bemusement.

“Yes.” He responded after thinking for a moment. “We’re working together for the Order.” He stated firmly, subtly telling her to keep the rest of her opinions to herself.

As Remus walked into the kitchen another knock interrupted her thoughts. Her eyes widened when she saw a whole family of gingers.

“Nice to meet you, Eliza.” The kind ginger woman smiled and hugged her before walking inside past her, same with the rest.

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” She asked Ron, who was the last to enter.

“I have no idea. Mom told us to pack our bags for Hogwarts and we ended up here.” He trailed, getting closer to her when he noticed the house elf, “What in Merlin’s name is that? Is that a house elf?”

The subject glared at the ginger boy before leaving while mumbling under his breath, “Getting filthy blood inside the house. Madame would be so mad.”

They watched the elf go further into the house before Eliza turned to Ron with a bright smile.

“Welcome to the Black household,” She chuckled, patting him on the back in comfort.


	27. Details

An hour later and the kitchen became crowded. The Weasleys occupied most of the first floor. Molly Weasley was the most welcome, truthfully. She's cooked for everyone and Eliza has never eaten such homie food. 

Eliza got nudged towards the other levels of the house by the twins. They were very keen on trying out their new merchandise in the Black household.

“Your brothers are strange human beings,” Eliza mumbled walking towards the younger ginger.

Ron was looking for stuff in his luggage. They were going to sleep in the same room while Eliza was going to move in another one.   
  
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” He whispered aware that his brothers were somewhere close and could hear him. 

Ron didn’t need any funny jokes played on him while being in an unknown territory. 

"So, this is where you live?" He continued, looking quite surprised of how suspicious and dark was the house on the inside.  
  
"No. I live with Remus. I only come here when it's safe. This summer's been very safe. Kreacher would never tell anyone about us. He's still loyal to the Black family." She explained, sitting on the bed next to Ron's trunk.

As minutes passed, silence fell between the two Gryffindors. Eliza could see Ron struggling to start another subject.  
  
"Do you believe we're in danger?" He finally asked, turning to her before sitting on his bed slowly.  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I don't know. I hope not but the Order is getting together again." Ron answered sourly.  
  
"What is this Order?"   
  
"The Order of the Phoenix is a secret gathering, a coalition created by Dumbledore during the war."

That response didn't come from Ron even if he had his mouth open.

Hermione smiled when the rest figured she was there, "Nice to see you two."  
  
She hugged Eliza before being conflicted between hugging Ron or not. The green eyed witch watched bemused how awkward was their reunion, even after four years of being best friends.  
  
"So, everyone downstairs was in the order before?" Eliza concluded, her mind instantly going to her mother.  
  
"Yes." 

* * *

A few hours later, Mrs. Weasley called them all for dinner. It was a feast and Eliza couldn't remember the last time she ate so much and still wanted more. She wasn’t the type to complain about one's cooking skills but Mrs. Weasley was infinitely better than Remus.

"You're Liz, right? I'm Tonks," The woman introduced herself. "It's nice to finally meet you. You are everything Remus talks about, except our problem of course." She continued.

"I'm curious when did this happen..."

The way Eliza said it made both Tonks and Remus shift uncomfortably in their seats. 

Hermione rolled her eyes, already knowing what to expect from her friend.

Tonks seemed to have understood what Eliza meant, tho.

"We are both working for the Order and just met this summer." Tonks responded without any restraints.

The Gryffindor was being watched by everyone. They knew Eliza could get rather mean when she was talking to new people. She was known for her blunt personality but Tonks seemed to brush it off easily. 

Mr Weasley coughed before changing the subject quickly.

"Anyway, we all know why we gathered here," Mr Weasley started, getting the attention of everyone.

"He's back." Sirius frowned yet he said that with his own mouth. "Voldemort's probably searching for his old loyal dogs." He continued when the eyes moved on him.

"Indeed. I already talked to Dumbledore and we came to the conclusion that any caution the ministry will take -if they will take one, that is- will not be powerful enough. Therefore, we should all take our former positions in the Order and examine the problem thoroughly before coming to a conclusion. I’m telling you all, we should prepare for the worst but hope for the best.” He finished, smiling softly as encouragement, especially to his children and wife.

Eliza watched and listened to his speech with attention but her mind couldn’t agree with what Mr Weasley said. Voldemort was being careful, meticulous even, and they had little to no help from most of the wizarding comunity. It was only them, a few people ready to risk their lives. Eliza was wondering if it was worth it.

* * *

After dinner, Hermione told her friends what she has done that month with her parents. She also gave Eliza a book about dreams and a dream catcher, which only confused both the brunette and the ginger.

“Wh-What is this for?” Eliza asked, holding the dream catcher like it was infested.

“It’s supposed to catch your dreams and help you sleep peacefully. I know you had trouble sleeping last year.” She responded in that you-should-know-that-already manner.

“Does it gather your dreams in such a small thing?” Ron asked, tilting his head while scanning curiously the object.

Hermione scoffed, “Of course not! It doesn’t literally take your dreams; it’s not magic.” She stated in a voice that hinted just how silly Ron sounded, causing him to slightly glare at her.

“Well, anyway, thank you.” Eliza admitted, genuinely grateful.

Hermione’s mood changed drastically after she saw the smile on Eliza’s face. 

* * *

The next few days were spent talking about what went wrong during the first time Voldemort was in power. 

The children were not as affected by their conversations as were Remus and Sirius. _They lost a lot during the war and one of their friends betrayed them,_ said Mrs. Weasley one night. She could understand their pain well. 

Eliza was going back to her room when she heard the portrait of Mrs. Black from further the hall.

_'Mudblood in my house! I cannot believe him! He brought all those tainted people in here! I should have been harder on him, that deception of a son!'_

Eliza rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs when she heard Mrs. Black's last complaint.

_'He brought **that** child here. I can't believe him! His brother died because of that cursed woman.'_

Now that was something new. Mrs. Black obviously hated Sirius but to have her hate someone she didn't know was even worse.

Eliza walked upstairs with a lot to think about. She leaned against the wall and remembered her mother's cries in front of Voldemort. _I hate you! You don't know how it feels like! I will not tell you anything!_ Then, was it about her or about the Order? 

"Daydreaming again?" 

Eliza's head raised instantly to meet the chocolate brown eyes of her godfather. 

"I heard Mrs. Black saying something about mom. She called her 'the cursed woman'." Eliza said softly.

Remus frowned. He looked extremely uncomfortable which only made Eliza more curious. 

“Look Liz,” He started, "I think you shouldn’t go to Hogwarts this year. It’s not safe for you anymore.” He continued, leaning against the wall and bending a bit towards her.

Eliza scoffed, “Hogwarts is the safest place to be right now.” She combated.

“Not for you.” He stated, hitting her lightly on the forehead, making her feel more confused.

Seeing her grow up from such a young age, Remus had the opportunity to take notice –even if he wanted to or not- of the way she built a certain wall between herself and the world. However, that wall had moments when it was up and moments it was completely pushed down, depending on the events and her connection to them. 

From the moment she told him about her first dream with Ophelia, he knew he should never let that wall fall at all. 

On another page, Remus was trying to keep her safe from disappointment; not only in Ophelia but also the world and its negative points. It seemed with the recent issues, that disappointment was inevitable. Ophelia had always been a mistery for everyone and she never told them all there was to know.

Those green eyes were staring intensely into Remus’, not blinking once. It was a bit weird, he admitted, but he knew her mind was probably making up scenarios in order to find answers.

“It’s alright, Remus. I’ll talk take it from here.” Sirius suddenly walked up the stairs, his eyes staring at his daughter.

The werewolf man sighed heavily and let her father interfere, walking towards the stairs with his own problems to solve.

* * *

Sirius walked towards his daughter and pulled her around, so they could face each other properly. Eliza blinked twice before she realized the men changed and the one standing in front of her had darker hair and a very unique style of clothing.  
  
“I want to go to Hogwarts,” She started rapidly, not even letting Sirius say a word before establishing that, “That place has given me more life and comfort than anything. I’m not going to turn my back when it gets hard.” She added, staring at her father earnestly.  
  
“I know. I would do the same. But Liz, these are dangerous times, unpredictable times. I want you to lay low and keep your ears perked because the strangest things happen in the shadows. No matter what you hear, don’t tell anyone, not even Dumbledore.” He lowered his voice towards the end of the sentence, like he was afraid the walls could hear him.

“Why not?”

“Normal teenagers like your friends are not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts. The causes are diverse of course...” He added, jumping from serious to his usual self.

“Wait, but I use magic every day!” She almost screamed for everyone to hear, getting a stern look from her father before she continued, “You train me with magic.” She hissed.

“That’s because the ministry doesn’t know you exist.” He finally explained. “You were born in utter secrecy, far away from here.” He continued, seemingly more comfortable now that he told her that little bit of information.

“But I go to Hogwarts and I saw Barty Crouch and the Minister. The teachers-“

“They've always known of your existence and they promised not to divulge your secret. Of course, you ran along and grabbed the eye of young Malfoy,” He trailed, leaning in and looking straight into her eyes.  
  
She froze and started to fidget nervously, “That was a mistake,” She responded like it wasn’t much yet she avoided looking at him. “He will lose interest if he hasn’t already.” Eliza tried to fake innocence but Sirius wasn’t blind.

“You’re taunting Slytherins, aren’t you?”

It was supposed to be a joke but her head snapped towards him so fast that he couldn’t help but laugh.

“I guess it’s in the blood,” He commented rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway, don’t forget what I said, Liz. Don’t tell anyone what you hear; not even Dumbledore or Harry.” He finished, ruffling her hair before groggily walking downstairs.

Eliza sighed once her father got out of sight and leaned her head against the wall with a frown.

“Don’t trust anyone, right mom?”

* * *

The rest of the days passed very quickly and Eliza decided to enjoy the time with her friends and keep her issues for later. 

As it has been whispered in between the members of the Order, Harry was not to know about their gathering or about the existence of the Order. Hermione and the Weasley siblings agreed without asking but Eliza had doubts. Harry was the one who met Voldemort and felt his wrath so why was he being kept away? He was the one who needed this Order more than anybody in the house. He've got to know what to expect.

She didn’t utter a word, of course, but she started spending more and more time in the room on the first floor- the one with the lineage.

She was there, staring at the face of Regulus Black before Hermione barged inside, taking Eliza by surprise, “He’s been attacked by dementors!”

Eliza didn’t have to be a genius to know who she was talking about; besides, doing magic outside school was illegal. It seemed that everyone made a big deal out of it, especially Mr. Weasley who was working at the Ministry and had already been contacted by the Minister.

“They won’t close an eye on this and you know it, Sirius.” Mr. Weasley started, invoking everyone in the kitchen for an urgent meeting.

“That’s alright! He only protected himself, of course he needed magic!” He screamed just to make his point clearer.

Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling like he grew a few years older in such a short time. He noticed Eliza’s figure standing on the first few stairs, listening to their discussion, and closed the door.

The green eyed girl sighed and went into her room. The house elf was just coming out of the same room when he saw her coming from downstairs with a pitiful expression. Instead of leaving silently, scared of what may happen if he opens his mouth, Kreacher glared at her.

“Bringing strangers, moreover mudbloods, into the Black Mansion, master would have been so mad.”

He continued to ramble about that before he made himself unseen by descending the stairs.

Eliza rolled her eyes at the strange elf and turned towards her room only to find the door closed. That was the moment she realized whose room it was.

_Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black._

Eliza chuckled and caressed the inscription softly before opening the door and taking a long look at the place. The walls, windows and bed were draped with Slytherin's trademark colors: emerald and silver. The Black family crest was painted over the bed along with the family motto:  _Toujours Pur_. 

It was a room of melancholy and it held memories of a man whose destiny was regrettable.

She sighed and sat on the bed, rubbing her legs while still looking around. Eliza had been so busy that she completely bypassed small details, focusing only on Malfoy.

Above the desk on the left was a picture of the Slytherin Quidditch team from back then, with Regulus standing in the middle.

“He looks so happy.” She mumbled.  
  
Her eyes moved lower, on the desk where there was some kind of collage glued together. She got up and walked over, grabbing one of the pictures that fell off. It must have been from the war because Voldemort was being very proactive and the aurors were having a hard time keeping up with the Death Eaters. Alastor Moody’s name appeared in one of the articles as an uncontrollable, mad auror who was under questionable usage of the deadly curses. Eliza chuckled and placed it down, looking over what was left of the collage. 

In a way, it was beautiful to see just what kind of boy was Regulus as he grew up and what kind of interests he had. On the other side, he was infatuated with Voldemort and that was enough for a characterization.

“Eliza?” 

She jumped at the sudden voice. Thankfully, it was Sirius.

“Harry will be brought here shortly.” He announced before realizing she was going through Regulus’ old stuff. “My younger brother was much more than what this room shows you.” Sirius added as he walked inside, stopping right behind her and looking at the picture above the desk. “So much more,” He trailed in a melancholic trance.

“He was a fan of Voldemort.” She said coldly, making her father scoff. “You still didn’t tell me what was the connection between him and mom.”

“Ophelia took good care of Regulus during our school years. She was more like a sister than I was a brother to him.” He started, placing his hands on her shoulders in a fatherly way, “She had a certain talent for understanding Slytherins and would often take their side against us. I couldn’t understand why she was so protective of Regulus until he became a Death Eater.”

“Was she trying to change his mind?” Eliza asked, glancing up at her father over her shoulder.

Sirius chuckled, “Maybe it was the other way around. It doesn’t matter now. Your mother was not a Death Eater nor had interest to become one. She wanted us to be a family, even when the family turned against me. Regulus was a loyal kid and somehow, he remained loyal to the Black name and to his sisterly figure while I destroyed everything.”

“Regulus knew where mom hid?”

“Yes. Maybe I didn’t kill James and Lily but I definitely killed Ophelia.” He mumbled, taking his daughter by surprise with that sudden testimony.

“You were in Azkaban when mom died.” She clarified, more for her own good than his, “You were in Azkaban.”

Sirius sighed and watched her green eyes softening and hardening with the swirl of thoughts and emotions she was going through. 

“Regulus died very young, Liz. Before he died, he asked me where your mother hid and I told him. I knew he would never betray her but I was wrong. He told Malfoy and Ophelia died." He explained, feeling even worse than before.

“That’s irrelevant. Regulus never hurt mom and neither have you. The ones responsible are cold hearted filthy wizards. I remember their faces clearly,” Her green eyes darkened at the memory as she continued, “I will make sure they get their doze of pain." 

Sirius stared at her blankly, registering her threat before he chuckled and hugged her tightly.

“You never cease to surprise your father.” He mumbled, feeling closer to her after getting that guilt off his chest.


	28. Troublesome

When Harry Potter entered the Black mansion, he did not expect to see such a fancy house with such a strange vibe oozing off the walls. The corridor towards the ground floor was very tight, up to the kitchen. The walls, the chandeliers and really everything decorating the place was all connected to the Dark Arts.

While Harry was being acquainted to the house, Eliza remained on the upper floors, looking at everything she could find. She wasn’t supposed to wander the halls freely because _no one knew what was hiding around the corner or what kind of surprises were under the couches. That house elf did nothing for 10 years, especially cleaning,_ said Mrs. Weasley who found herself obliged to take that responsibility.

Eliza dreaded house work and Remus only chuckled when Mrs. Weasley told her to help. _It is your house, too,_  he said. Well, Eliza wasn’t seeing Sirius going around with a mop and it was his inheritance.

Besides, the meetings of the Order were done in secrecy and the children were not allowed. Fred and George tried their best to find out what was going on, especially when Snape arrived one night. That was actually the night after the Weasleys arrived.

Eliza couldn’t forget how much tension was between Snape and Sirius. There was one particular moment when they were alone in the hall and Snape was getting ready to leave.

_The greasy haired hateful teacher turned to Sirius with a poker face._

_“I see the father and the daughter are finally reunited.” He spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm._

_“You should hurry, **Sev**. You might be seen leaving by the death eaters.”_

_Eliza was upstairs, looking down over the railing. Sirius’ response was just as ironic as Snape being in the Order._

_Snape let his mask fall and looked at Sirius disgracefully, “Just because she is your daughter doesn’t give you the right-”_

_“Exactly. She is **my daughter**  and it gives me the right. She is not an object and she is definitely not Ophelia.” The dark long haired wizard stated coldly._

_Eliza raised an eyebrow waiting for Snape’s response but he didn’t say anything and just left._

Kreacher appeared on the stairs, looking at her with those little narrowed eyes of his. “Cursed child of the cursed woman. Always trouble for the Blacks.” He mumbled seeing her there. “Always stealing. Always disgracing the family.”

Eliza watched him until he walked into one of the rooms. He was lurking at every corner, trying to get his point across.

* * *

Walking down the stairs for dinner, she started to feel nauseous. Harry was there and they haven’t seen each other since the school year ended. Was it going to be awkward? Was he going to be annoyed that she didn’t write to him at all? Willy was being even less responsible than before.

Once Eliza entered the kitchen, her eyes went straight to the messy haired glasses boy sitting next to Sirius.

Harry sat up right away and the two stared at each other for a minute. Eliza walked slowly and sat next to him, feeling awkward.

“Hello. Long time no see.” She mumbled keeping her eyes on the table.

For a moment,she thought he was going to yell at her but he didn’t. He did look quite annoyed, though.

“So you’ve been here too. For the whole time.” He stated coldly. 

“Yes well you should have known I’m spending time with my father.” She retorted.

Harry looked at Eliza for another minute before he sighed.

“Thanks for the letter. I know your owl is unreliable but he did send that one to me.” He said, his tone getting softer.

Eliza looked up at him and smiled. He was talking about her card for his birthday. She bewitched a muggle card into recording her and Sirius’ voices telling him happy birthday.

That seemed to break the awkwardness in the air and Mrs. Weasley started to yell at her children to help with the food.

Sirius smiled at the sight of the two. He could see Ophelia and James, the first time they fought. It was funny to see them speak to each other comfortably now that Harry already vented his anger.

Everyone was worried and everyone was fussing about something. However when the feast begun, everyone seemed to forget everything and enjoy themselves.

* * *

After dinner, though, it looked and sounded like an ice cold bucket of water was thrown over the warmth of the kitchen.

Harry wanted to know everything, he had a lot of questions and Sirius was ready to answer each and every one of them. That didn’t seem to be Mrs. Weasley’s opinion because she just fired up.

“They’re too young, Sirius! Dumbledore said-”

“They have every right to know. Harry has every right to know.” 

“What he knows is enough. Everyone go to sleep!” She screamed, her eyes glaring at Sirius.

It became rather rash but in the end everyone except Ginny remained seated. The men had the same opinion and Sirius won the argument. He told Harry absolutely everything he knew yet it didn’t look like it was enough. Mrs. Weasley came back right before Sirius could say something new and important and shooed them upstairs.

Eliza stayed next to her father and Mrs. Weasley was ready to say something when Sirius sneered.

“What now, Molly? Can I not have a word with  **my daughter**?” He emphasized the most important element in the sentence.

Mrs. Weasley swallowed her words and left. Eliza chuckled and looked at her father.

“How did you even conquer mom’s heart, I wonder.” She said bemusedly.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and leaned towards her, “I thought it was obvious. My charms.”

Eliza’s eyes twinkled, “Confundus maybe?”

Sirius was ready to answer when he realized what she meant. His eyes narrowed at her playfully.

“Do I look like I needed to use Confundus on your mother?”

Eliza chuckled, “Did you?”

Sirius opened his mouth but the door opened and the man who entered responded instead.

“Yes he did. Now, Sirius, it seems we need to have another meeting.”

Eliza laughed loudly before running out of the kitchen. She only heard Sirius moan loudly  _‘Remus, she didn’t have to know that!’_  before walking up the stairs.

She found one door open and peeked inside. Hermione and Ginny were getting ready to sleep.

“Hey,” Hermione whispered, assured that Mrs. Weasley was around.

Eliza waved, “Hey. They’re having another meeting.”

“Mom’s still furious. She couldn’t shut up about it when we left the kitchen.” Ginny mumbled sourly.

“Yes well Sirius was being just as stubborn.” Hermione continued. “But he is right. Harry needs to know what’s happening.”

Eliza leaned against the door and nodded, “But it was interesting seeing Mrs. Weasley so angry while dad looked like he’d done it before.”

The girls chuckled before Eliza left and went into her room. The green and silver were a bit overwhelming now that there were so many Gryffindors around.

* * *

The cleaning was going well but Eliza was standing as far as possible. She heard something fall in the hall and the portrait of Mrs. Black started to yell.

“Scum! That blood traitor brought filth!”

Eliza sneaked out and went straight in front of the old woman. She stopped yelling and glared at the green eyed witch.

“You! You should have died with  _that_  woman! She destroyed my poor son! It’s all her fault!  _Scum_!”

Eliza blinked twice before she swayed her hand and the curtains hid her ugly face.

“I see training is going well with Sirius?”

Eliza nodded and turned to face her godfather, “He is very spontanous. He made a list of charms and I’m certain we went through most of them already.”

Remus chuckled before he glanced at the hidden porttrait, “Your mother wasn’t cursed, Liz. You aren’t either. That woman hated Ophelia because she and Sirius lied to her.”

“About what? Blood?”

Remus nodded, “They said she’s half blood. Also, when Regulus died, Ophelia vanished. She thought her son died for the woman she hated the most.”

“Did he?”

Remus shrugged and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You just take care of yourself. The past is the past and we can’t change what had happened already.”

The brunette looked at her godfather doubtfully. He looked even more ragged and stressed than before and she was sure he was in more danger than she was.

* * *

She didn’t know and wasn’t curious to find out what happened at the ministry hearing. She only heard from Tonks that Dumbledore was going to be there.

Actually, that morning Tonks followed Eliza around the house, watching and talking about random subjects.

“So, what is like to be a metamorphmagus?” Eliza asked out of nowhere.

“It’s fun and useful. Especially in my work as an Auror.” Tonks responded, chuckling in her pillow since they ended up in Eliza’s-Regulus’ bedroom.

“Is there a way to become one?”

Tonks chuckled, “You know, Harry asked me the same thing when I told him. But no, we’re usually born like this. If there is a way, it must be very painful.”

Eliza looked at the collage on the wall before she took a long look around, “Have you seen Remus with a cat?”

Tonks blinked in confusion.

“A black cat with bright green eyes. He doesn’t like Kreacher and I decided not to take him with me but I’m curious who’s taking care of him.” Eliza explained, a look of worry appearing on her face.

“Ah! You mean Furvus?” Tonks got up and laughed, “I saw him once. Remus uses him to send letters to the other members of the Order.”

Eliza’s eyebrow twitched once, twice until she turned towards the door and glared at it.

“He is not an owl. What if he gets hurt?” She hissed.

“It may be just me but that cat looked smart.” Tonks begun.

Eliza scoffed, “Of course he is.”

Tonks shook her head, “No, no. Like, humanly smart. He looked up at me and I swear he knew what I am.”

“Maybe it’s his instinct.”

Tonks nodded, “Maybe. Anyway, this is the HQ so he will end up here sooner or later. I wouldn’t bother with the house elf. He is really weird but innofensive.”

“Not weirder than that awful portrait. She snarls at me every time she catches a glimpse.” Eliza mumbled angrily.

Tonks looked at the teenage girl and smiled. She had never met Ophelia so she didn’t know why Mrs. Black was so mad about it. However, she knew one thing for sure.

“She does even worse when she sees the rest. Let’s not forget I am one of the faces she sees everytime something breaks near her.”

That seemed to have done the job and Eliza laughed. Tonks was glad that she was part of the Order with such brave men and women, be them of age or not.

“What does the Order know about Voldemort?” Eliza subtly shifted the attention on something else.

“Only traces of Death Eaters looking out and calling for reinforcements. They are very careful this time.” Tonks responded, getting up from the bed once she heard noise downstairs.

“They’re back.” Eliza noted, following Tonks.

* * *

When Eliza got downstairs, everyone was happy that Harry was cleared up. She didn't ask him anything about the hearing itself. 

Instead, she got entangled into Fred and George's silly jokes, now that they could use magic. 

"You don't have to get mad, Liz." Fred started, wrapping an arm around her shoulder loosely.

"Yes, it wasn't even supposed to hit you. At least we know it works," George continued, copying his brother's actions but on Eliza's other side.

When she woke up one following morning, she didn't expect a sudden knock on the door so early. She groggily got out of bed and opened the door, looking to the right and left before looking down, finding a little box. She took it and scanned it closely. Nothing flew out of it and just to be safe, she placed it near the wall. Kreacher hit it and the lid fell off, the substance inside getting into her room. 

Eliza walked on it without realizing and when she got downstairs, her face was purple and her eyes looked enlarged. 

Everyone stared, speechless, before Sirius started to laugh loudly while pointing at her face.

"You're purple!" He laughed.

Her eye twitched and levitated Fred and George for two hours before the color faded away.

"It wasn't funny." She repeated, her eyebrow twitching at the memory.

"Actually, it was quite funny." 

She heard Ron whisper to Harry before she glared at him. Ron smiled nervously and waved from across the room.

* * *

Days passed like that. Sirius was getting grumpier because both Harry and Eliza were going to leave. Besides, Ron and Hermione became Prefects.

"Is it that important?" She asked Harry during the festive party. She couldn't understand what was so great about a badge.

"Neah! They're only given more authority." She heard Fred mumbled before hurrying towards the man Eliza found out was Mundungus Fletcher. 

Harry nodded to what Fred just said. "That's true. But that's not all."

Eliza shuddered lightly, "I hate authority. I have a problem with following other people." 

Harry smiled and Tonks could be heard laughing loudly behind them. 

* * *

When time came to leave, Eliza left earlier with Remus. He had to come back afterwards but it seemed that was part of some plan.

The werewolf man followed her silently for the whole ride, which was quite interesting. They took the muggle way to the train station and it was really fun compared to the fast Floo Powder. 

Remus was still young and even if he looked so ragged and slightly ill, he was still somewhat handsome. He also didn't look anything like Eliza, who had dark hair and green eyes compared to his brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her trunk and owl cage were drawing a lot of attention especially when Willy was glaring at everything. Needless to say, they were one strange pair.

"How is Furvus?" Eliza asked, checking on Willy from time to time.

"He hates Kreacher. I tried to take him with me but he bit and scratched. He quite likes traveling. I believe he thinks he is important." Remus chuckled, feeling good that he chose Furvus out of all the other animals.

"He is not a messenger. He is a kitten."

"Furvus is a smart cat. I wouldn't be surprised if he follows you to Hogwarts willingly." Remus chuckled, revealing what was hidden inside his jacket.

Eliza glanced from her godfather to the wide eyed cat, smiling when Furvus jumped on her luggage.

"You can take him with you without a problem. He will take care of you." Remus encouraged her, ruffling her hair like a father would.

"You know, nothing will happen to me at Hogwarts. I will be careful." She mumbled innocently.

"I know you, Liz,"

That was enough to understand that he didn’t believe a word she said. After all, Eliza inherited her parents' troublesome personalities.

She smiled and hugged him, surprising him with the sudden affection.

"Take care, Eliza. If anything happens, send me a letter with any owl you find." 

The brunette nodded and hugged her godfather once more before rushing through the wall towards platform nine and three quarters.

* * *

In the train, Eliza met Seamus first. Dean entered a few seconds later and hugged Eliza before showing her his football magazine.

For the first few hours, they spoke about everything he had done during the summer, like before. After Dean finished his interesting story about a few men having a fit in a pub, Seamus started to share his opinion over the latest matters.

"Have you read the Daily Prophet? Have you seen what it says? Me mom reads it every day."

"Are you serious? They know nothing and don't believe Dumbledore." She interrupted, trying her hardest to keep her tone in check.

"Liz, my mother didn't want to let me come to Hogwarts this year because Harry claims You-Know-Who is back."

"He is back." She retorted, Dean staring at her with wide eyes.

"So you believe him, ay?" Seamus was growing annoyed rapidly.

She nodded, "Don't you believe Dumbledore? He announced it in front of the whole school."

Seamus rolled his eyes, leaning back folding his hands on his lap.

"Tell that to the parents. My cousin thinks Dumbledore is just covering for Harry." Seamus got hit after saying that, though it mustn’t have hurt at all since she didn't use any force.

"Really, Seamus. You're dorm mates. Do you really think Harry would lie about something so important?" 

"I think anything is possible but when you bring You-Know-Who in the sentence, it's just unbelievable." The Irish boy continued stubbornly.

"I don"t really know. My parents don't get tje Daily Prophet. But no one died and muggles haven't noticed anything strange or else it would've been on the news." Dean added.

Eliza glared at Seamus but he shrugged it off.

"That doesn't really mean anything. You have no idea how it felt when mom told me she doesn't want me to go. I had to use every reason I could to finally convince her." 

For a moment Eliza felt like she was speaking to the wall. She took a deep breath and left the compartment.

The brunette walked around thinking, when one door slid open and someone pulled her inside. 

“What are you doing!?” 

She squirmed before he finally let her move.

“My father,” Malfoy started, grabbing her attention immediately, “He knows you’re at Hogwarts.


	29. Nuisance

“My father,” Draco started, grabbing her attention immediately, “He knows you’re at Hogwarts.” He continued softly, which made her take a few steps back and look into his eyes. “He asked me if there is anyone with the name Molley.” He finished, sitting down.

Eliza was not moving an inch from her place in front the door.

“And you said yes?” She asked aware that was what she wanted from the beginning.

“No. I told him I don’t know.” He admitted, looking down at his hands.

She narrowed her eyes at him and scoffed, “Why not? I told you, he has the answers you’re looking for!”

“I doubt that. It’s more entertaining when it’s just you and me,” He chuckled, pulling her down next to him. “What do you think of all this mess created by Potter, Molley? Are you scared?” He taunted, leaning in for intimidation purposes.

“No.” She responded, no emotion whatsoever in her voice. “Are you? If I remember correctly, you will be forced to follow your father even if that means you will be killed at some point.”

“And what? I can’t wait to become a Death Eater.” He snapped.

“You don’t sound convincing. Maybe it’s too much for you to bear.”

Saying that, Eliza looked closer at him and noticed just how much he resembled his father. She leaned in and narrowed her eyes, startling him with her bold actions.

“Good luck then.” She added quickly before sprinting out, leaving a confused Malfoy alone in the cabin.

* * *

Once at Hogwarts, she took the carriage with Lavender and the Patil twins. They spoke about this and that until they got there. Walking into the Great Hall, Eliza was curious what will happen next.

She took her usual spot between Neville and Hermione and looked at her empty plate.

“I already miss Mrs. Weasley.” She mumbled, making Hermione roll her eyes.

The Sorting ceremony went well and once the feast begun, Hermione wasn’t sure who was eating faster: Eliza or Ron?

Once that was done too, Dumbledore raised for his usual speech. Only, this time, surprising everyone around, a little fat woman in a pink cardigan took lead and expressed some of her opinions.

“Can you understand what she’s saying? I can’t concentrate with that high pitched voice.” Eliza whispered to Harry, making him nod and chuckle.

No one in the Hall looked remotely interested in the speech. Everything Eliza remembered was that her name was Umbridge and she was the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.

* * *

The way to the Gryffindor tower was spent in between Lavender and Parvati, whispering to each other as if Eliza wasn’t there.

“Did you read what the Daily Prophet said?” Lavender asked Parvati. “And the article about Sirius Black.”

Eliza tensed and glowered at Lavender. It was childish for so many people to believe everything a newspaper wrote.

“I’m amazed by your deduction skills. They seem to be completely underdeveloped.” Eliza snapped, drawing attention. 

Lavender rolled her eyes, “You’re saying that only because Potter is your friend.”

“No. I’m saying that because the Sorting hat just warned us that we’re in danger. Like I said, underdeveloped deduction skills.” Eliza responded coldly before walking faster.

Once in the common room, Eliza got into bed and rolled on her side, staring into space. She didn’t even hear Hermione entering or the noise when Lavender continued her discussion with Parvati.

In the end, she fell asleep while a pair of bright green eyes were staring at her worriedly.

Next day, Eliza entered the Great Hall later than most students, looking for some breakfast and the timetable. She grabbed a slice of bread and read what she had to prepare for: History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defense against the Dark Arts.

“Two hours to sleep in,” She mumbled as she read her timetable again.

At some point, while she was gathering her stuff, she felt someone stare at her from two rows to the left.

Unlike what she was suspecting, the one glaring at her was a Slytherin that she didn’t know. He was inspecting her as if she was a suspicious human being with horns on her head and a long tail wagging behind.

“Molley.”

She froze when she heard Snape’s voice from her other side. Her head snapped to the professor, curious what he wanted so early in the year

“This evening, come to my office.”

“Why would I-”

“Don’t- ask- questions.” He interrupted.

With one last glance around, he left.

* * *

The first day had a lot of surprises in store, especially when Eliza walked in the classroom of History of Magic and felt her head become empty.

She couldn’t concentrate so she did something that seemed to help her more. Eliza wrote every spell she learned with Sirius on a piece of parchment. Surprisingly, the list was pretty long and she was sure she forgot some of them.

When the class finished, Eliza leaned against Ron helplessly.

“I can see my soul flying away from my body already.” She said dramatically.

The boys found it funny but not Hermione. The bushy haired girl rolled her eyes and scowled.

“I’d like to see you three during the exams if I don’t give you my notes.”

The three Gryffindors looked at each other before they turned to her.

“You wouldn’t do that.” Eliza started. “We’re your friends, remember? You don’t want us to do something rash and get expelled, do you?”

Harry and Ron looked appraisingly at Eliza, who sounded like that could happen any minute now. Hermione glanced at the boys before looking at Eliza.

“You know I don’t want any of you expelled but it’s time for you to work for yourselves.”

That argument continued until Potions. When they got there, Eliza got taken away by Blaise. He looked suspiciously happy to see her.

“Nice to see you, partner. Did you have a good summer?” He started casually.

Eliza blinked and glanced around warily. Pansy Parkinson was talking to her friends while Malfoy was sneering at Seamus.

“They already got used to us being partners in Potions. You don’t have to look like something will drop on you out of nowhere.” Blaise reasoned bemusedly.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” She answered coldly before everyone got inside.

Just like before, Eliza was at the same table with Blaise. Her Draught of Peace was going extremely well and Snape didn’t bother with her anymore. However, she couldn’t help Gryffindors at all while she pretty much did half of Blaise’s potion too.

Eliza was ready to leave for lunch when Dean grabbed her aside.

“Look, I know that newspaper started it all bit you should talk to Seamus. He’s been moaning about you and Harry for the whole morning. It doesn’t feel right to have you two so mad about each other and it may even help with Harry’s too.” Dean mumbled, looking like he was going to burst.

Eliza stared at him blankly before she gave her answer, “He’s the one acting like a child. He should know that friendship comes before newspapers and their biased opinions.”

“But Liz, the Daily Prophet is the most important source of information for wizards. It’s like the news reports for muggles. You believe them because they usually say the truth.”

Eliza seized Dean with one quick look, “You really don’t read the Daily Prophet. It’s manipulated by the Ministry and whatever need they have. Right now, they need wizards to discredit Dumbledore. It’s not just about Harry anymore.” She explained looking into his eyes earnestly.

Dean nodded and dropped the subject. For the rest of the time, they ate and discussed about Dean’s hobbies and Eliza’s growing interest for muggle sports.

“So football and soccer aren’t the same sport?” She asked on their way to Divination.

“No. Firstly, the ball is different. In soccer, the ball used is a sphere. This kind of ball is used in Gaelic football also. In other football games like rugby and American football, the ball has more rounded ends. The ball for Canadian and American Football has two pointed ends.” He explained with a look of utter concentration.

“Alright. That makes sense.” She trailed.

They were on the way to Divination and Eliza was trying to focus on something so she won’t fall asleep.

“Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation. Then, divide into pairs. Use  _The Dream Miracle_  to interpret each other’s most recent dreams. Carry on.” Professor Trelawney urged them.

Harry and Ron were a pair while Dean and Neville got together. Eliza and Seamus looked at each other and scoffed but sat together nonetheless. Thankfully, the reading took most of the time and that left them only a few minutes to interpret their dreams.

“So what’s your most recent dream about?” He asked in a bored voice. It genuinely sounded like he couldn’t care less.

Eliza thought carefully and decided not to tell the truth, “A toad was jumping around in a pink cardigan. It looked really ugly and the toad turned to me, as if it could read my mind. Then, it spoke in the most insufferable voice I’ve ever heard-” Eliza coughed before she started in a copy of Umbridge’s voice, “You shall become slaves of the Ministry~”

Ron heard her perfectly from where he was standing and he started to laugh loudly. Harry, Neville and Dean were trying their best to cover their laughter with their hands while the professor didn’t look even half amused.  _Take it seriously,_ she said. However, looking at Seamus for his reaction, Eliza only saw him trying his best to contain a wide grin.

“What do you think it means?” Eliza asked, leaning towards him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Seamus shook his head in mock disapproval, “You’re mental.”

* * *

Even if it was fun to mock Umbridge, her class was next. Eliza took a seat in the back and Seamus sat next to her, making her chest feel lighter than yesterday when they fought.

“Does it mean mean we’re fine now?” She whispered.

“As long as you don’t speak about you know what.” Seamus responded sincerely.

Well, that seem legit. She agreed and they turned towards the front of the class. Professor Umbridge was standing there in her pink cardigan and with such a wide smile on her face that it was making Eliza nauseous.

Per say, her speech about her class and their ‘course aims’ was not making any sense. Besides, Eliza opened the book and saw the bold under title:  **A Return to Basic Principles.** The brunette frowned and flipped through the first few pages. She had done learned that with Remus a long time ago. It was really a beginner guide to theoretical defense against enemies.

Hermione raised her hand and asked all the right questions and one after another, the rest of the class started to ask what they found questionable. At some point, Eliza heard the dreadful Lord Voldemort and it seemed like Umbridge was ready to implode. She gave him something and ordered him to get it to professor McGonagall.

“He’s got himself a lot of trouble.” Seamus whispered next to her, going back to copying stuff from the book.

Eliza glanced at Ron and Hermione before looking down at her own book. Defense against the Dark Arts was one of the few classes she enjoyed and was good at but that was definitely going to change.

“I wonder what the ministry will say when students start dying one by one.” Eliza mumbled, not even bothering to copy all that bullocks on her parchment.

* * *

Dinner was complicated. Eliza sat in between Hermione and Neville and ate quickly before leaving.

“Where are you going?” Ron asked in between bites.

Eliza shrugged, “I have something to do. See you later!” She said and ran out.

Once in front of Snape’s office door, she pushed it softly only to see her owl watching her walk inside with big knowing eyes. Eliza glowered at Willy when she passed him but the bird seemed very content with their relationship.

“What is it, professor?”

Her eyes were still on the bird until something heavy has been placed on her hands. Her eyes widened at the content.

“Books?”

“These are for you and you alone. I have been informed of your training and I can assure you, these books will prepare you for what is to come.” He spoke, his eyes blank and voice emotionless.

“Why me and not Harry? He is in danger,” She was very confused. “I am-”

“You are Molley’s daughter, therefore you are in danger. I will do my best at covering your identity from Death Eaters, but only because Dumbledore asked.” He slurred, his eyes hardening yet voice not rising at all.

"Lucius Malfoy knows that I am alive. He knows I'm at Hogwarts." She informed him, just in case.

Snape only took a seat before placing his hands on the desk, looking very calm, "He knew from the beginning."

"Did you?" She asked, taking a step forward. "Did you know I was alive before I came to Hogwarts?"

He looked carefully into her eyes before he gave a one word answer.

"Yes. Now leave and I expect you here tomorrow evening at five sharp."

* * *

That night, Eliza grabbed Furvus and caressed his tummy until the cat fell asleep on her bed.

The tank of books were on her nightstand and they were all from the restriction part of the library. No one asked her about it but it didn't look inoffensive either. Eliza was sure she heard Lavender whisper something about it to Parvati when they entered the dormitory.

Thankfully, Hermione was there and made Eliza feel a bit better.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke Eliza up just in time for breakfast. They had Charms and Transfiguration in the morning and Eliza was sure to moan about it for the whole breakfast.

"I thought Snuffles already got that covered? Didn't he help you last summer with charms?" Hermione asked as they were walking to Charms. 

Eliza sighed, "Yes, he did. But I'm not sure dad's pressure and Flitwick's pressure are anything alike."

"What do you mean pressure? He didn't attack you did he?" Ron asked curiously. 

Eliza chuckled, "Of course he did. He even said he's going easy on me. Ha!" 

Harry looked quite jealous afterwards so Eliza decided not to give any more insight of her bonding time with her father. 

During Charms, the professor spoke for the first fifteen minutes about the importance of the O.W.Ls. Once they begun their lesson, Eliza found herself steady for once. 

"I see you've been working on your control, Molley." Professor Flitwick said, smiling when he saw her summon a pillow.

Next was Transfiguration where professor McGonagall spoke about the O.W.Ls as well for less than fifteen minutes. The rest of the lesson was harder than Eliza expected. Vanishing Spells were not going the way Eliza wanted. She couldn't vanish a snail but when she tried it funnily on Neville, half of his body vanished. McGonagall glowered for the whole lesson at Eliza but the brunette was quite achieved with what she's done. 

* * *

Dinner felt like the time where everyone could take a breath before doing homework for the whole night. Eliza was half asleep when she remembered she had to go  begin her training with Snape, whatever that was. 

"Hey, where are you going?" Eliza asked Harry when he got up from the table and followed her outside the Great Hall.

"Detention with Umbridge. What about you?" 

She froze, "Um- I'm going to practice Charms. I don't want to fail." She trailed, hoping Harry believed her.

"By the way, you are a good flier. Why don't you try for the Quidditch team? They're having tryouts this Friday to find a Keeper." He changed the subject completely to Eliza's relief. 

"I told you before that I have a problem with authority. I respect the Quidditch team and everything but having someone order me around is not exactly what I like."

Harry rolled his eyes, "It's not ordering around. It's about playing as a team and smart."

"Exactly. I have no team spirit." She said before taking a turn towards the dungeon. 

If Harry noticed, he didn't say anything. 

* * *

Snape was busy and Eliza ended up spending their first day of training copying down offensive spells.

"Tomorrow, five sharp." Snape said calmly while reading some document. 

Eliza rolled her eyes and yawned. On the way back to the common room, she wondered if that training meant she could be spared of the Potions homework.

However, even if that was possible, there was so much homework for every single subject that she found herself focusing on nothing but that. Her mother's diary was only good for Potions but it didn't have essays included so she had to do that herself. Entries for her Divination's dream diary were done during breakfast with Ron and Harry. Transfiguration and Charms were classes that were actually going somewhere and Eliza succeeded vanishing the snail and tried her luck again with Neville. 

"Molley! This isn't a game!" Professor McGonagall screamed at her.

But Eliza was high-fiving Ron and Harry, laughing. Neville was left without his right hand and left leg. It was the second time he needed McGonagall to get his body parts back ad Eliza was intrigued what was that spell. 

Herbology, Astronomy and Care of Magical Creatures were going very well. Unlike her girls classmates, Eliza preferred Hagrid's more dangerous creatures because it would keep everyone tense. For example, Malfoy was taking glances at her whenever she was in sight and Zabini was picking on the signs. 

At five sharp, Eliza would sneak out and go to what was another boring training session with Snape.

"Are we going to use magic anytime soon?" She asked after writing down half of another book. 

"I'm not your father, Black. I'm not running around attacking everything my eyes set on. Be silent and copy the rest." Snape said calmly. 

Eliza scrunched her nose and looked down at her parchment. If only she could finish it and forget about the rest.

As if Snape could read her mind, he continued, "Do not think that our training session will exempt you from doing your Potions homework." 

She narrowed her eyes at him and decided not to say anything anymore. She had an essay about moonstones she had to do later. 

* * *

Friday came and passed just as fast as the rest of the week. Eliza didn't try for the available spot in the Gryffindor Quidditch team; she had enough on her plate. However, she did find it easier to finish her homework with less to no people in the dormitory.

She was checking her Astronomy homework when she saw Furvus look at her very, very closely.

"What's wrong?" The green eyed witch asked curiously. 

Furvus gave a firm _meow_ before pointing at the window. 

"What does that mean?"

 _Meow, meow, meow_. That was even more confusing, especially after the cat narrowed his eyes at his owner.  He pointed his paw at the wndow before he pointed his head at the door.

"Ah~ you have to leave?" She asked and the cat nodded. "Does it have anything to do with the Order?" She continued, her eyes narrowing at the mere idea.

However, Furvus wasn't waiting for her agreement, he was just informing her. With one last glance at her, he ran out the door. 

Sunday passed just like Saturday but Eliza was feeling better when she realized she finished most of the work. She could finally spend time with her friends and was really happy to talk again to Seamus as if nothing happened.

When Monday came around, she noticed Hermione during breakfast, reading from the Daily Prophet. Eliza could only pick the last part but that was enough.  
  
 _ **Having already revolutionized the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Umbridge will, as high inquisitor, have powers to address the seriously falling standards at Hogwarts School.**_  
  
"What the-?" Eliza asked confused, "She's going to be even more active than she is?"

Hermione nodded slowly, "She will go around, having the right to discredit the professors if she feels like it."

"I can't wait to see McGonagall's opinion on that during Transfiguration." Ron started bemusedly but no one looked amused.


	30. Stupefy

Umbridge took them one by one, writing down their achievements and failures.

During Divination, Eliza sat next to Seamus and watched Umbridge go around, following the professor. Trelawney found it especially hard to work under pressure.

Eliza was genuinely concerned. She looked at Seamus and he looked expectantly at her. The Divination professor was being taunted and teased at the same time, ending with a forced premonition that sounded false even for the professor herself.

They had Transfiguration next and Eliza exchanged a swift glance with Neville, telling him that she wasn’t going to vanish any parts of his body today. On the other side, she caught Umbridge glance at her suspiciously when her mouse vanished from the first try.

Defense against the Dark Arts went even worse. Harry found himself with another week of detention and their questions had one universal answer: what the Ministry wants, the Ministry gets. At least that was what Eliza understood.

It would have been a lie if Eliza would have said she wasn’t curious how Snape will react with Umbridge. She was looking forward to Potions just for that sole reason.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke Eliza up just in time for breakfast but after she got dressed and grabbed her books, Hermione led the green eyed witch inside the girls’ bathroom.

“This is not the most liable and adequate place to have a bonding conversation.” Eliza randomly started, turning with a bemused expression to her friend.

“Harry got detention after he mentioned You-Know-Who in front of Umbridge,” Hermione started with a frown, “She tortured him and-”

“Did he tell you that?”

Hermione froze at the sudden serious tone in Eliza’s voice.

“Well, no. But we have seen it, me and Ron. He won’t agree to tell McGonagall about it. You should look at his hand, Eliza. The marks are visible and he’s still getting more of it.”

The bushy haired witch seemed quite desperate if she asked Eliza for help.

“And what do you want me to do? You and Ron are far closer to him than I am.” Eliza stated firmly.

“We’ve been talking and I think it would be better if Harry could teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts. He used them before and-”

“Did he accept?”

Hermione’s face was enough of an answer.

“Not yet but he will. We don’t have a choice.”

Still that didn’t answer Eliza’s question, “Why are you telling this to me in the girls’ bathroom when we share the same dormitory?”

“Because you have to help Harry. We know you have a talent for Defense against the Dark Arts. You learned more than us from both Lupin and Sirius.”

Hermione’s brown eyes were staring at Eliza so earnestly that Eliza considered using a hex on her. Instead, she just sighed heavily.

“I’m not so sure about that. Dad and Remus, they didn’t teach me how to hex people. I didn’t want to kill or hurt anything.” The brunette finally said. “I don’t know how I can help. I never fought against anything evil, Hermione. I have as much experience as you and Ron.”

That was not what Hermione wanted to hear.

During the next weeks, life went on pretty well. Classes were going suspiciously well for Eliza and now that she gave up on Muggle Studies, she had enough time to do her homework for Herbology.

Hermione didn’t give up on gathering a few students and learning Defense against the Dark Arts from Harry. Eliza overheard her tell Dean to meet at the Hog’s Head during the Hogsmeade break.

“Will you go?” He asked her later in the common room.

Eliza glanced at Harry, who was doing his best at his Potions essay, and sighed.

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what to do. Harry knew far more and he used them for real. Eliza only used them in training and she wasn’t even sure that counted as something.

However, when the break came around, she was intending to go and offer moral support to Harry. Unfortunately, Snape saw her when she was walking downstairs and dragged her into his office.

“Next week we will begin our real training. I expect you to show me what you studied these passing weeks. You did study, I suppose?” He asked, raising one eyebrow as if waiting for her to say no.

“I did.” She responded. “I learned everything.”

“Let’s say I believe you. If you haven’t, you will suffer not me.”

Was that a threat? Eliza wasn’t sure so she took it as an advice.

* * *

After that Hogsmeade visit, school became more of a well structured prison. They had no right to have fun if it wasn’t carefully monitored by the High Inquisitor.

“Is it even legal, what she’s doing?” Eliza asked during their walk to the dungeons.

Hermione sighed, “Unfortunately, she made it legal.”

Eliza scoffed. Once they got into the cold halls of the dungeons she noticed the blond and his friends right away. They were mocking Harry and the rest and for once, Eliza felt like she wanted to punish Malfoy. Her fingers were twitching but luckily Snape opened the door and they got in.

Umbridge was there, taking notes in the back. Just like she expected, the pink buffoon was glancing suspiciously at both her and Harry. One of them was surprisingly talented at Potions.

“Miss Molley, I see that you have a perfect Potion and are working with a Slytherin. Does it happen in every class?” Umbridge asked in that falsely sweet voice of hers.

“Yes. Every _Potions_ class.” Eliza emphasized that just so the toad like woman wouldn’t misunderstand.

“She’s gifted in Po-ow.”

Blaise glowered at the cauldron when she stepped on his foot. Umbridge raised an eyebrow and went along to Pansy Parkinson.

After the class was over, Seamus found it funny to mock her about her partnership with Zabini.

“If I didn’t know better I’d say he fancies you.” He joked during dinner.

Eliza glared at him before she glared at Ron who was chuckling across Hermione. Then, her sight lowered to Harry’s hand. There, faint but still easily recognizable was a wound that looked like someone’s imprinted something, deep in the flesh.

* * *

Eliza didn’t open that subject for the next week or so. The weather was getting colder and as the days passed by, the sky was getting darker. The Quidditch team had training and Eliza waited in the common room for Harry.

She waited until Ron went to bed before she walked to the glasses boy.

“I saw your hand. Detention certainly became evil.” Eliza started bluntly.

It wasn’t a surprise for Harry to have her suddenly speak to him after weeks of silence. She bluntly avoided him for half a year when she came to Hogwarts.

“It’s nothing. I’m not going to tell McGonagall about it.” He said quickly, thinking that she might start nagging him.

“I wouldn’t recommend going to McGonagall about it. It would create unnecessary fuss.” Eliza responded as if it was nothing.

Of course. Harry should have thought better. Eliza was Sirius’ daughter and they had similar personalities. She was a person who would probably do exactly the opposite of what Hermione said.

“My scar’s been hurting more and more often. I feel him, his moods.” He told her, “I don’t want to bother Dumbledore with this again. Besides, Umbridge has been reading my mail and there’s no way to contact Sirius now.” He continued, everything pouring out.

Eliza listened to him silently before she gave her own opinion.

“I think this connection between you and Voldemort is to be expected. It may even affect you subconsciously so you should be careful. Don’t let the anger get to you.” She said and gave him a soft smile. “And Umbridge, she is not important. You shouldn’t bother with her. She tries to spy on everyone but it’s not always successful.”

“What do you mean?” He asked curiously.

“For the past weeks, I’ve been studying Dark Arts with Snape.” She saw Harry’s eyes widen but didn’t let him say anything, “Listen to me, something is going on outside and we should be prepared for it. You can do it. You are the only one who can do it, Harry.”

“How? I’ve always been lucky, I’ve always had help and-”

“That’s what you think, not them. They see you as some kind of freak that’s got too much courage.”

Harry scoffed, “That’s not a good encouragement, Liz.”

Eliza chuckled and nodded, “True. But remember the moment you faced Voldemort. How did that feel?”

“Horrible.” He grumbled, “But I wasn’t alone. I was-”

She raised a finger in the air in order to silence him. “Exactly.”

Eliza smiled at him one last time before walking towards the girls' dormitory. She was quite content with the encouragement she gave to him. Unfortunately, giving advice to someone else was easier than using that same advice for herself.

* * *

That next night, she had a meeting planned with Snape regarding her new training.

When she entered the Potions classroom, the tables were magically removed and he was standing in the middle of the room with his wand pointing at her.

“Stupefy,” He hissed, throwing her a few feet into the wall. “Is that how you defend yourself, Black? Are you so weak?” Those words slurred out, hitting her pride with power.

Eliza’s eyes narrowed and quickly disarmed him,

“Expelliarmus!” She screamed, only swaying her hand a bit but it worked.

The girl decided to give it one more try,

“Reducto!” She screamed, her hand pointing threateningly at her professor but nothing happened. Instead, a few shelves broke.

Eliza watched while biting her lip as the potions fell on the ground, the bottles breaking into small pieces. She turned to see just what was Snape doing. He looked like he wanted to scold her but instead he recuperated his wand and pointed it at her again.

“You seem mad.” Eliza mumbled, feeling like her pride was breaking along with the bottles.

He didn’t say anything, only narrowed his eyes until he suddenly attacked.

“Locomotor Wibbly!”

Eliza’s eyes widened and jumped to the side, missing it by a foot. She moved her legs in order to check if it affected her but everything was alright.

“Imperio!” Snape attacked again and she realized he was dead serious.

Snape was literally going to make her suffer if she wasn’t keeping up.

* * *

When she got in the common room that night, she was so tired that she almost didn’t remember the password. Walking inside, she realized her legs will not help her walk those stairs and she ended up falling on the couch in front of the fireplace.

It wasn’t the first time she spent her night there and it was probably not going to be the last either.

“Eliza? Hey, Liz wake up.”

Eliza opened her eyes groggily and almost hit the other person when she stretched out. After she got used to the bright light of the morning, she realized it was Seamus.

“Good morning.” She mumbled, though it was hard to understand because she was yawning at the same time.

“You look exhausted. What have you done the whole night?” He asked as he helped her up and sat next to her, “How did you end up on the couch?”

“I came in late.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she said, “I mean, from studying. I’ve been studying on my own a lot since Umbridge doesn’t teach us anything useful.” She continued, absolving herself of any rumor or crime.

“That’s true. It’s been really hard these weeks.”

Seamus sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling like he was going to begin the day with a headache.

“Do you really believe he’s come back?” He asked out of nowhere.

“All the signs are there. A storm is coming and it’s not going to pass if we don’t force it to.” She used a metaphor to make it seem softer than it truly was.

Her friend sighed and leaned back, feeling like he has been thrown in his own hole.

* * *

It was a few days later when Hermione cornered Eliza in their room, looking at her taller friend earnestly.

"We met a few students who want to learn actual spells at Hogsmeade. Twenty-eight, to be precise." The bushy haired girl started.

"What does that have to do with me?" Eliza asked, her mind already flying to what was waiting for her in the dungeons that night. 

It was the weekend but she still had training sessions with Snape.

"I heard from Ron who heard from Fred who- you have been training by yourself for a while. They've seen you coming in late and disappearing right after dinner."

Eliza frowned. If only Hermione knew what kind of training that was... But she didn't and it was better to keep that between her and Snape. 

"Twenty eight is more than I expected. Did Harry agree then?" 

Hermione didn't respond, only looked at Eliza with a serious look on her face. The green eyed witch knew exactly where that was going. 

"I have nothing to teach, Hermione." 

Besides, she started to doubt her qualities after realizing Sirius has gone easy on her, just like he admitted. Snape couldn't care less if she got hurt during training.

Hermione sighed, "At least, come and help. We're having the first meeting tonight at eight in the Room if Requirement."

That sounded alright but Eliza was curious if she could make it.

* * *

Unfortunately, Snape's extra homework was taking a long time and she had to show him at every end of the week just how well the spells were going with and without a wand. The hard work was controlling spells that could destroy or hurt people.

"Again!" He screamed at her angrily.

Eliza was already tired and he seemed to get brighter when the spell wouldn't go well and she'd get hit.

"Stupefy!" She tried with the wand, finally throwing Snape to the side.

"Now, without a wand." He announced, getting up before going back into position.

They have been dueling for a while and she was getting sweaty. She got thrown around and almost snapped her neck. Snape was definitely going with the flow and there were times when he was venting his anger on her.

"Stupefy!" She screamed, using her middle finger as a conductor for the spell.

It seemed she had to use something as a conductor so the magic wouldn't disperse all over her hand, thus making it hard to hit the target. Her middle finger was the tallest and it wouldn't even look nasty since she had to keep her fingers relaxed when using empty handed magic.

Surprisingly enough, Snape told her that. He taught Eliza how to control the magic in her body without having to become a ticking bomb. It was helpful and that wasn't the only helpful thing he taught her. Eliza could see why her mother was so attached to Snape...until he hit her hard and sneered at her, of course. 

* * *

Snape was hit, luckily, after two hours of intense training.

"You are insane." She breathed, leaning on her knees in order to regain her breath and calm down her nerves, "How are you so neat when I have so many new scratches?" She wandered, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"I am not using my whole energy on spells. I have patience, which you clearly don't have. Just like your father." 

Of course he had to say something about Sirius.

"I need to lie down," She concluded when she straightened up and felt her back crack.

Eliza grabbed her robe and walked towards the door, ready for a good night of sleep.

"Next week I expect to see your Patronus." Snape announced from the other side of the room.

It was crazy how one room could become so empty when the tables were pushed into the back. One of them was actually blocking the door and Eliza had to move it a bit so she could get out. 

Once in the corridor, she leaned against a random wall and caught her breath, her legs feeling like jelly.

* * *

Eliza became more of a shadow, only seen in class and in the Great Hall for lunch or dinner. She was so tired that she started to jump over breakfast and get a few more hours of sleep. 

Unfortunately, that also meant less and less time spent with her friends and Harry didn’t seem to be doing well either. 

Umbridge was imposing rules after rules, some quite stupid while others were simply inadequate.

Slytherins were getting curious why Eliza was wandering through the dungeons at night but their curiosity died when Snape literally snapped at them. 

Overall, Eliza really became Snape’s pet in the eyes of everyone, including Gryffindors.

“How are you so good at Potions?” Ronald asked in between bites of chicken legs. 

It was dinner, one of the few times they could actually sit and talk to each other.

“Maybe because of my family’s inheritance as Slytherins. Probably dad wasn’t bad at it either.” She mumbled, taking as much food as she could in her mouth, making the two of them look like they hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Hermione was watching the two a bit grossed out. At some point she rolled her eyes and turned to Harry, “Anyway, we have to plan our next lesson. We've already done a few basic ones.”

Harry didn't respond. 

Hermione turned to Eliza and blinked, “You can help by actually coming, you know.”

Eliza’s head raised immediately.

“I have to go.” She said, taking her stuff quickly and hurrying out of there.

"Where does she run off to every evening?" Ron asked.

Harry knew. He knew why she won't be able to come to the DA meetings in the future either but he didn't feel like telling Ron and Hermione. However, he was curious just what kind of training she had because she seemed to grow more and more tired every day.

* * *

To be sincere, Eliza did want to go and witness if not applaud Harry’s bravery to take the lead and help everyone.

“What are you doing?”

She was going to the dungeons when Malfoy appeared and snatched her away.

Eliza’s green eyes were judging him with immense passion, thinking of ways to throw him in a corner and use a spell to make him invisible. The blond took out a letter from his back pocket and unfolded it, preparing to read it out loud.

“I don’t want t-“

He interrupted,  _“My dear Draco, I was not expecting your father to react such as he did before you left for Hogwarts. I am deeply concerned for your well being as well as Miss Molley’s. If it is true and Eliza is a student, along yourself, then you must keep it a secret for as long as possible.”_

Eliza’s eyes widened, too perplexed to actually say or do something; instead, she listened.

It seemed there was more as he continued,  _“I cannot tell you why you have to do so but it would be safer for both of you if the others aren’t aware of her whereabouts just yet. Your father will try his best to postpone their meeting for as long as he can but sooner or later, our Lord will have to meet her. Take care, Mom.”_  He finished, folding the paper and throwing it at her.

She didn’t move so the paper fell at her feet. Her mouth opened and closed a few time but she couldn’t find words to express what she was thinking. Her head lowered, looking at the letter before raising her head to look at Malfoy.

“Why is my mother so concerned for your well being,  **Miss Molley?”**  

His tone wasn’t helping her think clearly either. Eliza was just as curious and confused as he was. 

Since he didn’t get any answer, he grabbed her arm harshly and pulled her closer, “Just who are you?”

“I don’t know.” She whispered, staring into his blue eyes.

Suddenly, his whole face morphed into his father’s and the look she was getting was the one of profound disappointment.

_“He will get you killed sooner or later.”_

_“Avada Kedavra!”_

She winced when she imagined Lucius Malfoy pointing his wand at her and attacking her with Voldemort’s voice. 

Draco raised an eyebrow intrigued. She backed off, her hands rising in front of her in sign of surrender. He took one step towards her and she took two back, her palms getting red. Draco frowned but was curious to see just how she'd to react if he'd get closer. 

Before anything dangerous could happen, Snape entered the room and pushed Draco aside.  

The greasy haired teacher grabbed his wand and pointed it at Eliza.

“Stupefy!”

Draco watched in surprise as his professor just casted a spell on a student. Snape threw her against the desks and she fainted. 

Snape turned his attention on Malfoy and the young wizard swallowed nervously.

“I recommend you keep your mouth shut about this, Draco.” The Potions professor advised, knowing the blond wouldn’t utter a word anyway.


	31. Drawn In

Under the intense watchful eye of his professor, Draco had no choice but to carry Eliza to the Hospital Wing.

Madame Pomfrey took her away immediately and gave her some kind of potion.

“Professor? What happened to her?” Draco asked once they left.

“I’m sure you have many questions but I would prefer you to focus on your studies.” That was a very professional response but it only irked the blond.

* * *

When Eliza woke up, she found herself surrounded by people. Hermione hugged her tightly, Ron waved from the edge of the bed while Harry grasped her hand in worry.

“Are you alright? What happened to you?” Hermione asked in one breathe.

Eliza bit her lip, glancing at Harry from the corner of her eye. He understood straight away that it was something about her lessons with Snape.

“I fell.” Eliza said innocently. “I was going to the dungeons when Peeves pulled the rug from under my feet.”

“There aren’t any rugs in the hall. Besides, why were you going into the dungeons?”

Eliza swallowed nervously. Hermione was too smart for her good and too perceptive.

“I had an essay for Potions...” The green eyed witch trailed, watching Hermione carefully.

The library rat didn’t look convinced at all. She was ready to say something more when Harry interfered.

“You’ve been here for 24 hours and Madame Pomfrey wouldn’t leave anyone near you. We barely got her approval.” He said.

“What about the DA? Still going strong?” Eliza whispered, her eyes brightening.

“Yes. You should come around sometimes- at least once before Christmas.” Hermione added when she saw Eliza open her mouth.

Harry glanced at the taller witch thoughtfully. Her lessons with Snape seemed rougher than he thought.

After the trio left, Eliza tried her best to look as healthy as possible so Madame Pomfrey would let her leave. It worked miraculously.

The day wasn’t over yet and Eliza still had a lot of homework to do. She went in the library and sat at her usual spot in the back. Looking around, she couldn’t help but feel sad again. Everytime she’d study in the library, the sparkling face of Cedric Diggory’d appear. Now, it felt empty and the sparkle was gone.

It took almost the whole day for her to finish absolutely every homework. She wrote the whole dream diary and put an enchantment on it so every entry would appear at the end of every week.

Walking back to the common room, she noticed the blond head of the Slytherin boy. She didn’t glance twice at him but he did. He literally stared at her until she walked the marble stairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

“Mimbulus mimbletonia.” Eliza muttered tiredly and the Fat Lady slid aside.

No one was inside the common room so she moved in front of the chimney. Her green orbs were reflecting the color coming from the fire. That until she felt someone tug on her pants.

“Miss Eliza, miss. Dobby thinks the black friend wants to tell you something.”

Eliza turned quickly and saw Dobby the elf pointing at the black fur. Also, he had something in his hands that looked a lot like the stuff Hermione’s been knitting.

Furvus was staring wide eyed at his master, something hanging from his left leg.

“Hey Dobby, can I ask you something?”

The elf nodded eagerly, “Anything Harry Potter’s friend wants to know.”

“Harry told me before about his adventures. He told me he helped you get free from the Malfoys.”

Dobby nodded, his wide glossy eyes looking at her, “Yes, yes. Harry Potter saved Dobby. He tricked master Malfoy into giving clothes to Dobby so I was free.”

“But you’ve worked for the Malfoys for a long time. Have you-have you ever seen a woman who resembled me?”

Thinking, Dobby’s eyes widened and took a few steps closer to her.

“There was a woman yes. I remembers there was a big fight a long time ago.” He took another step closer to her before he jumped on the couch. “There was a witch who’d come every holiday for three days at the manor. Dobby saw her once. I saw her crying, miss.”

“She was in the Malfoy Manor and crying? Why?”

Dobby pointed for Eliza to lean closer before he whispered, “The Dark Lord found out something and he wasn’t pleased. No, not pleased at all. Dobby could hear the screams. It was horrible.”

“What did he find out? That she was pregnant?” Eliza asked, remembering her dream.

Dobby’s eyes widened once again, “Miss seems to know already. Yes, Harry Potter’s friend. The young miss was going to have a baby with the Black. But he helped her run away, Dobby heard. The Dark Lord was furious.”

It looked like that memory sent a chill down his spine because he jumped off and bowed, “That’s all I knows, miss Harry Potter’s friend.” He said and popped off.

“He helped her run away? Who’s this ‘he’?” She asked frowning.

Eliza went to bed just when Hermione opened the door to the dormitory. It was past midnight and Eliza couldn’t believe it but she wanted to dream her mother again.

* * *

She didn’t. For the next weeks, Eliza did all she could to dream her mother but her sleep was always dreamless. That didn’t help during Divination either and she couldn’t fall asleep during History of Magic either. It was frustrating.

The Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin was another reason for frustration. Even though she was hyped that Gryffindor won, Harry cornered her in the common room and told her that he and the Weasley twins have been banned from ever playing Quidditch again.

“Besides, Hagrid is back. You know how his lessons are and Umbridge won’t pass this opportunity to sack him.” Hermione continued indignantly.

That wasn’t exactly what happened but from the looks Umbridge was giving and the not so soft mumbles, it was pretty clear she had no good intentions.

Malfoy and his little Slytherin friends were a good cause for conflict, especially in their classes with Gryffindor. That was why one Potions class during the first week of December, she went straight next to Malfoy. Doing that, Pansy Parkinson looked offended and intended to vex Eliza’s potion.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Eliza said so softly that only Pansy and Malfoy heard.

“Or what? You’re going to attack me with your stupid kitten?” The Slytherin girl retorted.

* * *

Harry was on the other side of the room with Hermione and Ron. He and the ginger were confused how she got to sit between the most insufferable two people in the room.

“I thought she was partnering with Zabini?” Ron whispered, avoiding Snape’s eye.

Harry knew that too. Zabini was one of the few Slytherins who would rarely annoy or get annoyed by the Gryffindors. He especially seemed fond of his Potions partner with how much she was helping him. So then, why was Eliza between Malfoy and Parkinson?

The answer came during the lesson. Hermione was first to notice and nudged Harry and Ron a few minutes later. Eliza’s potion looked really bad and saw her eye twitching every time Parkinson would talk. On the other hand, Malfoy didn’t utter a word.

It was almost the end of the class and they had to give their flagons of potions to Snape. Everyone put their flasks on the desk and returned to their tables. Harry was amazed by what happened next. He nudged Ron but he didn’t catch it happening.

“She changed them.” Harry whispered to the confused ginger. “She changed the flasks really fast.”

When Snape opened the flagons from Eliza’s table, two of them exploded in a puff of green smoke, making such a rotten smell that they had to cover their noses.

“Whose flasks are these?” Snape asked coldly.

For a moment, Harry saw Snape glare at Eliza but she looked completely innocent. Her potions were always perfect while Malfoy and Parkinson looked terrified at their hands.

* * *

“Have you seen that? It was amazing!” Ron exclaimed at dinner. “I thought Snape was going to give them detentions!”

“He didn’t though. How could he, it’s Malfoy and Parkinson. His valuable students.” Hermione said sarcastically.

“But it was really smart to make it seem like bits of the potion got smudged on their hands.” Ron continued, beaming with joy.

Eliza chuckled, “I got that bit of information while watching Fred and George research. I knew Parkinson will try to boycott my potion so I decided to make it super bad.”

“What did you put in it?” Hermione asked genuinely curious.

“Everything I could get my hands on. However, I knew I had to have a perfect one too so I helped Blaise with it.” She explained but everyone seemed even more confused. “In case you haven’t noticed, Zabini’s been watching me for the whole lesson. I’d nod or shake my head every time he’d do something so he knew when the potion was correct or had something missing. So, when I went to leave my flask, Blaise secretly gave me one of his. So mine exploded for real but while the smoke was going around, I smudged some on Malfoy’s and Parkinson’s robes. When they put their hands over their noses, they got it on their hands.” Eliza explained slowly for everyone who was curious.

“So we helped master this amazing plan?” Fred’s voice rung over her shoulder.

“We came when we heard our names but didn’t expect this outcome.” George continued.

“Wait. But what if Blaise’s potions wasn’t correct? What if Snape would’ve noticed?” Hermione asked worriedly.

Eliza shrugged, “The plan had 50% chances to be bullocks anyway. I risked it.”

Fred and George sat on each side and patted her encouragingly, “We’re proud we’ve been such good examples for you, Liz.”

Hermione didn’t think so even if she enjoyed seeing Snape almost snap at his own Slytherin students. She nagged Eliza until they got in the common room and the green eyed witch was trying her bed to block her voice out.

When she got in the dormitory, Eliza remembered that Furvus was carrying something when he came back. She didn’t have time to read it so she grabbed the letter and read.

_Umbridge is a pain. I can’t use any method to speak to you or Harry. I’ll be waiting for Christmas. - Dad._

Eliza rolled her eyes. Why did it take Furvus so long to bring this message anyway? Then she saw...

_Dear Liz, be careful. Umbridge tells the Ministry everything and she’s having eyes and ears everywhere in Hogwarts. Lucius Malfoy knows where you are. Stay away from his son; avoid him at all costs. The Ministry should not, through any means, find out about you._

She didn’t have to be a genius to know that last part was written by Remus. He was as overprotective as ever.

“A bit late for avoiding Draco at all costs...” She chuckled when she remembered just how fun was to see Snape so mad.

* * *

The next day, after dinner and a very monstrous lesson about Thestrals, (which Eliza rather enjoyed now that Hagrid was back) she went to her usual lessons with Snape. The room still had a faint smell of that rotten potion.

“Take a seat.” He said sharply.

Eliza glanced around before she sat across him. He looked rather stressed for someone who could easily disregard Umbridge.

“I have to inform you that drawing attention will not benefit neither you nor me. I suppressed the desire to give you a week of detention because there was no proof of what you have done.” He started, his eyes darkening when they moved on her. “Also, keep that animal locked if you want it to continue to breath.” He added as he got on his feet.

Then, out of nowhere, she found herself surrounded slowly by fog. It was getting heavier and she was sure it was coming from Snape’s wand. Suddenly, she felt danger approaching and the pain ensued.

Snape just used the Cruciatus on her and she had no idea which direction it came from.

* * *

Just as Remus advised, Eliza started to avoid Malfoy. He didn’t quite get the hint because his eyes were following her everywhere.

During the last week before the Christmas break, Eliza felt Malfoy stare at her back with all the power he could muster.

“Can you come today? It’s the last meeting before the break.” Hermione asked suddenly, grabbing Eliza’s attention.

“Yes, sure.” Eliza responded absent mindedly. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Malfoy was gone, “I have to go now, sorry. See you tonight.” She said really fast before leaving the table.

Hermione tilted her head to the side, watching her friend run out the door. It was strange how much she was running around lately.

“Malfoy!” Hearing her scream after him, everyone turned to watch.

Crabbe and Goyle were with Malfoy so whatever she wanted from him, it wasn’t a good time. He had to act as if he didn’t know anything and she was just a normal Gryffindor.

“Are you looking for trouble, Molley?” He turned to her with his usual scowl.

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

Her response made the viewers curiously whisper to each other and Malfoy instantly remembered the letter from his mother. 

The blond rolled his eyes and quickly did a spell just to shove her in the nearest passerby. It happened to be one of the twins. 

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked as he helped her up.

"I'm fine. Thanks Fred,"

"I'm George," He added. 

Her eyes widened, making him chuckle bemusedly, "I'm joking. I'm Fred. You got it right."

She narrowed her eyes at him and playfully pushed him, "You Weasleys."

"I heard you're coming tonight. I really want to see more of what you've done that time in Potions." Fred said.

He laughed but Eliza's body was aching at that memory. Snape took care to punish her during their lessons and she was genuinely considering getting detention with Umbridge just so she could escape from Snape.

"I will try my best to come tonight. How is it going?" She changed the subject.

"Well. I'm more interested in the little cat roaming around the Gryffindor tower." He started in a teasing manner, aware that she didn't like having Furvus go with the twins.

"He is a smart cat and does everything for attention. The girls find him adorable." She joked but it wasn’t entirely a joke.

"I noticed. Do you think I can take him for a while? Nothing suspicious,"

"That sound suspicious." She chuckled seeing the mischievousness in his eyes. 

He was going to use Furvus' sly attitude to mess around for sure. Eliza could already hear McGonagall yell at her for not taking care.

"As long as he doesn't get in too much trouble, you can entertain yourself." She answered eventually.

"Happy to make deals with you, Miss Black." He whispered and hurried through the portrait.

She frowned and glanced around; thankfully, the Fat Lady didn't hear the name he called her.

* * *

Since she promised, Eliza tagged along that night to practice. She finished her training with Snape earlier and ran around, hoping she could find the Room of Requirement. 

When she found it, she entered warily. Twenty eight students were going around, training with confidence. She saw students from every house except Slytherin and she was quite proud of them, especially of Harry who was going around, helping everyone how much he could.

Eliza walked around as she watched Neville try to disarm someone. Her green eyes caught sight of Ernie Macmillan and he waved at her. Anthony Goldstein was there as well and once he saw her, Eliza turned instantly and went to Hermione and Ron.

"Hey! You actually came!" Ron seemed really surprised. 

Eliza shrugged and moved on. She noticed a Ravenclaw doing the Impediment Jinx and motioned for her to lower the wand but raise her elbow, which proved quite useful. 

Overall, the students were learning how to protect themselves and they were doing surprisingly well.

"Hey, Liz! Try it out!" She heard George scream.

Eliza chuckled and pointed her wand at him. She did the movement but wasn't intending on using the spell so he got the chance to disarm her easily.

"Good work George! Next time try faster!"

"It was fast!" He retorted laughing.

She chuckled and turned to watch a Hufflepuff.

* * *

Christmas was coming and Eliza could already feel warmth engulfing her heart. She woke up in the morning with a wide smile on her face. Unfortunately, Hermione appeared in the picture.

"Mr. Weasley's been attacked last night." She whispered. "Everyone's over at Snuffle's and I think we'll spend the holidays there." 

Except the fact that Mr. Weasley got attacked, Eliza found the news very good. She could hardly wait to get to Grimmauld Place and see her father.


	32. Emotions

When Eliza and Hermione got in front of Grimmauld Place, Eliza’s eyes were sparkling as Hermione’s never seen before. It looked like her usual sly appearance suddenly transformed into the most inoffensive.

When she stepped inside, Eliza’s soft smile widened at the sight of her father singing carols as loud as his mother was screaming.

“Shut up old hag!” He screamed when he walked downstairs to welcome the new guests. “Eliza!”

Eliza chuckled and hugged her father, leaving her luggage in the hall. Hermione rolled her eyes and waved at Sirius (to which he also responded with a wave).

The sight of the father and the daughter being so close to each other was quite heart warming for the short ginger woman who just walked out of the kitchen. Remus followed Mrs. Weasley and smiled brightly at the sight.

“Let’s get you settled in and then you two can have the bonding time you so desperately want.” The brown haired man announced, flicking his wand so her luggage automatically flew to her room.

Everyone was already gathered in the Black mansion. Sirius was happy from more than one cause and he was singing continuously as if he’s been enchanted. Eliza was in her room unpacking when she heard a soft knock on her door.

It was Tonks and she looked annoyed.

“Can you tell Sirius to keep it down a bit? His mother is screaming enough already.” She moaned as she walked and sat on the bed.

“You look tired.” Eliza stated, her eyes scanning Tonks from head to toe. “Have you been guarding for long? Or is it because Mr. Weasley’s been attacked?”

Tonks chuckled, “You kids are just too curious and smart for your safety.”

“Hermione told me that Harry saw it all happen in his dream.” Eliza continued, “How could that happen? I know they are connected somehow but can it go so far as to know what each other’s doing?”

Tonks blinked, her mind working quickly for a response. Eliza wasn’t in the Order but she seemed very informed.

“I’m not sure. Whatever it is, it’s very helpful at the moment. It saved Arthur’s life.”

The green eyed witch sighed and sat next to Tonks, “But this happened spontaneously. What will happen when Voldemort realizes what’s happening and he uses it in his favor?”

That seemed to trigger something in Tonks’s head because she changed the subject completely to what she wanted for Christmas.

* * *

Later on, Eliza went searching for her father. She found him in Buckbeak’s room, feeding him dead rats for lunch.

“Your pet looks content with this new lifestyle.” She started bemusedly.

Sirius glanced at her over his shoulder grinning, “Yours doesn’t. I saw Furvus running around, hissing at everything.”

Eliza shrugged, “Maybe because you and Remus use him as a messenger so often.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, placing the bucket of rats aside and pushing her into the hall. They walked downstairs in silence and he ruffled her hair out of nowhere.

“I’m really happy we’re spending Christmas together, Liz.” He admitted .

“Obviously. Your singing is so loud that I’m surprised the Dementors haven’t heard you yet,” She joked causing Sirius to glare at her playfully from the side.

“Ha Ha Ha. Tell this joke to my mother, she will be delighted. Her sense of humor is just like the bottom of an overused cauldron.” He sneered but Eliza chuckled anyway.

“Every time she sees me she starts mumbling about ‘that cursed woman’.”

Sirius glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulder, “At least she’s not screaming.”

* * *

Mr. Weasley was still in Saint Mungo’s by the time Christmas came around. Eliza bought presents for everyone and Furvus was strong enough to carry them all.

“You’re quite full of surprises, aren’t you?” She asked her kitten bemusedly.

Furvus blinked innocently at his master as a response. Eliza rolled her eyes and walked downstairs, into the drawing room where the tapestry of the Black family was. No one was there so she turned around, going for the kitchen. Eliza stopped by the door and listened to whatever was happening behind the closed doors. It sounded a lot like Mrs. Weasley was crying while Remus was doing his best to comfort her. Feeling like she shouldn’t interrupt, she went back into her room.

There, at the foot of her bed, guarded by Furvus was a pile of presents. She bent in front of them and took the first one. It was from Hermione and surprisingly enough, it wasn’t anything to do with magic - it was the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes and Eliza was speechless. Harry bought her a quill that looked rather expensive and a miniature of a Horntail. Eliza chuckled, remembering that she told Harry once that she quite liked dangerous creatures. Ron gave her a bunch of Chocolate Frogs which Furvus was eyeing from the side. Fred and George gave her products of their own which Eliza slid under the bed for safety purposes. Mrs. Weasley gave her a jumper with her name knitted on the front.

Now, those were the normal presents per say.  
  
Tonks gave Eliza a book about Defense against the Dark Arts and clothes for Furvus. Remus gave her what looked like a muggle camera and clothes for Furvus and Sirius gave her a book about Transfiguration and clothes for Furvus. Eliza raised an eyebrow at her innocent looking kitten.

“They’re taking care of their messenger, it seems,” She trailed, getting on the bed and signing for Furvus to jump next to her.

The black kitten only meowed before he jumped back down to check out his new clothes. They did look quite adorable on him, especially the Christmas suit.

* * *

Lunch went on with joyful laughter and Furvus was the sole reason girls were in such good moods.

“He looks adorable!” Ginny exclaimed, patting Furvus on the head.

“It does look cute on him.” Hermione said calmly but it was obvious she was fawning over the black kitten just as much as Ginny was.

After lunch, the lot left for Saint Mungo’s to visit Mr. Weasley. Eliza walked upstairs but not before taking a peek at Mrs. Black’s portrait in the hall.

“What?!” Se snapped, her eyes scrunched in a very ugly expression.

“You’re not screaming.” Eliza said bluntly.

The old witch scowled, “The scum’s out. Those filthy wizards, traitors of our kind, getting all content with mud-blood. Black was one of the most noble pure-blooded families and he-he-”

Eliza was sure Mrs. Black would’ve vexed her own son if she could. Fortunately, she was dead and paintings couldn’t affect the real world...hopefully. The woman glowered at her niece with every ounce of hatred she could muster.

“My mother- um- you call Ophelia the cursed woman but she was a pure-blooded witch.” Eliza started out of nowhere, her green eyes darkening.

“I know.” She said, glancing around before she smirked, “Her blood was cursed and so is yours. You walk around, proud that you carry the Black name but he didn’t tell you, did he? The blood running through your veins is-”

“I think that’s enough mommy dear!” Sirius screamed, forcing the curtains closed.

He sighed and turned to his daughter, “You haven’t found the right person to question, Liz. Your grandmother is ready to say anything to make you angry.”

“Yes, well,” She couldn’t mutter a coherent sentence.

* * *

Once inside her room, the Slytherin pride all around gave her a nauseous feeling. Sirius paced around before he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the pile of kitten clothes on the desk.

“How is it? Liked your presents?” Sirius asked with a bright smile on his face.

Eliza raised an eyebrow and bit her lip,“Dad, you gave me an ancient magical book about animagi.”

Sirius nodded eagerly, staring at her with those big eyes of his, “We used it when we became animagi so it’s not that ancient,” He glowered at her at that certain part about age. “I’m ageing quite well, as you can see.”

“Maybe but you’re still acting like a kid.” She started walking in front of her father, “Harry’s relying on you and whatever you say, he takes it very seriously.”

Sirius looked offended, “And what’s that supposed to mean? I am not reliable enough to give my godson advice?”

She shook her head, playing with her sweater, “That’s not what I mean. Harry is not James and I am not you or mom. Maybe you should think about that.” Eliza continued in a serious tone.

Sirius frowned and jumped on his feet really fast, “Do you not trust me, Eliza?”

“I do trust you. Everyone trusts you but try to see us as we are. Sometimes, I see you looking at Harry as if he’s your best friend. Well, he’s not. Also, I’m not mom but sometimes I see you watching me very closely.” She said softly yet firmly.

He hummed and glanced at the door before turning to his daughter, “I’m only taking care of you.”

“Are you? Because I feel like you’re trying to find out if I’m hiding something from you.” The brunette continued.

“Liz, you’re not Ophelia and I know that. Sometimes, I do look at you and remember her. She was an incredible woman,”

“And very secretive,” Eliza added quickly. “I know that. Her secrets got her in trouble but I don’t have any. I tell you everything.” She admitted, looking into her father’s dark eyes.

Sirius stared at her for a few minutes before he smiled and hugged her, “I know.”

* * *

It was after midnight when Willy tapped on her window grumpily. Eliza frowned and let the owl enter. He had something wrapped around his leg and was more than happy to get rid of it.

Eliza opened the small present and found a ring. Next to it was a letter...

“This ring has been in your family for generations. Don’t lose it but don’t wear it either. Keep it for when the day will come.” She read out loud before looking for a signature. It didn’t have any.

With one glance at Willy, she opened the window and the owl left. Reading the letter again, Eliza hoped it wasn’t from the platinum blond man.

* * *

As the start of the new term was drawing closer, Eliza started to feel a knot tie inside her stomach. Snape came around and left before Eliza could have a word with him.

When they got back to Hogwarts, the crowd was so big that Eliza got snatched without the rest noticing. Malfoy dragged her to the side, into an emptier hall and looked down at her with a mix of fear and annoyance.

“He’s calling the others, Eliza.” He whispered.

She was more taken aback by the fact that he used her first name than anything else. Of course, she got a sudden chill but she didn’t look worried in the least.

“Soon enough, he will come looking for you.” He continued, leaning closer.

“How do you know that?” She asked in that smartass manner that pretty much characterized her. “Oh, wait. You don’t.”

“My father does,” He hissed, glaring at her for being so stubborn, “This Christmas I spent the holidays with Death Eaters planning their next move. My father, in case you forgot, is the one in charge right now.”

She rolled her eyes, “Thanks for clarifying the obvious.”

He bit the inside of his cheek, angrier than when he entered the castle.

“You know what? Fine. Let’s say he will come for me sooner or later but you will be summoned very soon too and let’s see what happens then.” She finished, hearing him scoff while she spun on her heels and walked away.

Draco stayed behind, leaning against the wall rubbing his head. He could still visualize the moment his father realized that Eliza was in Hogwarts.

 _“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Lucius Malfoy was mad and it wasn’t every day when his son was the cause._  
  
“Why does it matter? She’s just a mud blood!” The son screamed at his father yet couldn’t look him in the eye.  
  
Lucius looked ready to blow fire through his eyes and nose, “She’s not a mud blood, Draco. She is the daughter of Ophelia Molley, a pure blooded witch, descendant of Salazar Slytherin.” The older man explained.  
  
“Dear, you will be late for the train,” His mother, Narcissa nudged her son towards the fireplace.  
  
Draco let his mother led him away, still hearing Lucius mumble under his breath.  
  
“I thought Ophelia Molley was adopted by muggles...” He mumbled to himself, surprising his mother with the interest he had for that woman.  
  
“Where did you hear that?” She questioned but the blond looked to the side, “It doesn’t matter, anyway. Ophelia is not your concern, Eliza is. I will tell you more when the time comes but until then, be careful.”  
  
She kissed his cheek and smiled softly, watching him use the Floo Network to get back to Hogwarts.

There was something that got imprinted in his mind, though:  _descendant of Salazar Slytherin._

* * *

Eliza spent Monday with a dreadful look. She looked like she was ready to pass out and Harry was curious why until he remembered she had lessons with Snape. Right after dinner, she got up and Harry followed closely.

“Where are you going?” She asked him curiously.

“Dumbledore wants me to take Occlumency lessons with Snape.” He whispered back.

Eliza stopped right before entering the dungeons and blinked. If Harry had Occlumency then her lessons were over. That mere thought made her feel like the knot in her stomach loosened up.

“How many times?” She asked hopefully.

“Once a week.” He answered grumpily. “It’ll look like I’m taking remedial Potions.”

“You’d need that, though.” Eliza mumbled, not feeling sorry at all for what she said.

In the end, Harry continued down towards Snape’s office while Eliza turned around and went into the common room.

“Hey, Liz! Merry Christmas! Did you get my card?” Seamus asked while half trying to do Umbridge’s homework. 

Eliza frowned, "With whose owl?"

Seamus looked genuinely confused, "Yours. It appeared at my window before I could take my cousin's. I gave it to him."

Eliza felt the knot tighten. The only thing Willy got her was the letter and ring from a former Death Eater. She swallowed anxiously and looked down at her hands.

"Willy gives my mail to Snape." She said bluntly. 

Seamus frowned, "Snape? Why?" 

Eliza remembered her dream with her mother. She could still see it before her eyes.  _For me to be your Secret Keeper, you need to follow exactly what I say. I'll be waiting._ Well, Willy seemed perfectly capable back then.

"Well, then it's lucky that I didn't send you my present!" Dean said, holding something in his hand. "Here."

Eliza's eyes widened at the spherical, black and white football ball. It was simple and nothing out of ordinary but in her eyes, it looked beautiful.

"Thank you!" She yelped before hugging him tightly. Dean blushed and patted her awkwardly.

"What about my card then? Did Snape get it instead?" Seamus asked, visibly getting red in embarrassment.

Dean raised an eyebrow and leaned against the armchair Seamus was sitting on, "What exactly did you write in that card, mate?"

"Nothing." He said quickly and went back to his homework.

Dean didn't pass the chance to make fun of his best friend and Eliza asked Neville to help her with some Herbology terms. Overall, it felt nice to be back at Hogwarts.

* * *

The next morning, Eliza entered the Great Hall yawning. She first searched for her friends at the table and found them in the front, reading the newspaper.

"What's wrong? Something about Dumbledore again?" She asked before she poured herself some tea.

Harry was looking down at his breakfast while Ron and Hermione were staring straight at her.

"What?" Eliza asked in confusion. 

Hermione gave her the Daily Prophet and pointed at the headline.  **MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN. MINISTRY FEAR BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS.** Then her eyes went lower, finding the pictures of the escapees. Right there, at the bottom was the fierce black and white picture of Bellatrix Lestrange. Her face was the same as the one in her dreams and she looked ready to wreak havoc even in Azkaban. 

The trio watched Eliza carefully as she read the article. Her chin tensed and she looked stiff but nothing else. When she was done, she put the newspaper aside and looked at the staff table. Snape wasn't there so she got up and calmly walked out of the Great Hall.

"Do you think she's mad?" Ron asked right after she left.

Hermione shook her head, "She's probably having mixed feelings."

"Bellatrix is her aunt. How would you feel if your crazy aunt just escaped prison?" Harry mumbled, being careful not to draw attention with what he said. 

"Do you think she's going to risk it and tell Si-Snuffles about it?" Ron asked, his eyes falling on the ten black and white pictures again.

"No. No, she's going to Snape." Harry stated firmly. "They've been having training every night. That's why she couldn't come to the DA meetings." He continued, seeing how Eliza's secret could help him and the rest. 

"You mean she's been having Occlumency too?" Ron asked, confused. 

Harry shook his head, "Dark Arts. Snape's not going easy on her either. You saw just how tired and scratched she was last term."

* * *

Eliza turned up for their next lessons but avoided the trio, especially Harry. She didn't go see Snape but went to hide in a corner and calm down. She was angry and Umbridge's face was not helping at all. Harry's Occlumency lessons were every time Snape felt like it while her training ceased but didn't stop. 

This time, Eliza made an effort and went to every DA meeting. Neville was doing extraordinary and the rest weren't bad either. Yet, the difference in Eliza's behavior seemed to force her partners to work harder because she was very fast and her attacks were sharp and well calculated.

"I guess you've been really well trained." Dean mumbled after he got pushed by her.

That wasn't Snape's opinion who seemed to be in a bitter mood almost every day.

"Don't act on emotions, Black. If you control yourself, you can control your hand as well. Try again." 

Training with Snape was getting rougher and she got many new bruises all over her arms and legs. However, it was definitely a long way from the DA meetings. While Harry was teaching his fellow colleagues jinxes and counter-curses, Snape was more interested in using the deadly curses. 

That night she barely made it in the dormitory. She was incredibly tired and fell face first on the bed.  

Furvus looked up at her with those big green eyes and meowed before he squirmed and ran to get something. He was still small but managed to bring an antique book to her feet. She grabbed it and chuckled when she saw the title:  _The Art of Transfiguration._  
  
“You want me to become an animagus, like dad?” She asked the cat grumpily. 

Furvus nodded and meowed again, nudging her foot. 

“You want me to be a cat?” She asked bemusedly and Furvus meowed again.

She shook her head disapprovingly and placed the book aside. Furvus jumped on the bed and glanced between her and the book stubbornly.

* * *

That night was the first in almost a year when she dreamed it again.

 _“I’m not the kid from Hogwarts anymore. You should have chosen your family, us! But instead, you chose Potter and his little group.” The blond snarled at the green eyed woman. He was furious and he was looking at her with the same disappointing glint as the day she was murdered._  
  
“Is that really what you want to be Lucius? When we first met, you were just like me. Our families were the ones who forced us into the darkness. Maybe they trained you too well, maybe you have been brainwashed but not me.” Ophelia addressed this younger version of Lucius.  
  
“Maybe. Or maybe he changed you, Sirius Black. He will get you killed sooner or later.” Lucius added calmly, making Ophelia feel even worse.

 _The room changed and Eliza found herself back in her mother's house in Ireland. She was watching from the secret compartment Lizzy was hiding in. She could watch everything but something was definitely different. Besides, she was quite big compared to the four years old Eliza._  
  
Unlike the last time, when everyone dDisapparated, Voldemort turned towards the dresser and stared at it with those icy eyes.  
  
“We will soon be reunited." He hissed before he laughed loudly.   
  
She opened her eyes and expected to see the eyes of Voldemort but instead, Furvus’ green eyes popped in front of her. The black cat caressed her cheek softly with his paw, making Eliza smile softly at the kind gesture. Once Furvus felt that his owner calmed down, he went back to his place on the window sill and fell asleep.

* * *

Eliza entered the Great Hall expecting to have a silent breakfast. Those words Voldemort hissed were making her feel very anxious. He didn't say anything about how he will find her; he said they will be reunited soon. 

 _Draco was right,_ she thought. 

Eliza didn't even go to Hogsmeade when time came and chose to train by herself somewhere in the Forest. She closed her eyes and thought about what Snape told her.  _Don't act on emotions, Black. If you control yourself, you can control your hand as well._ Then she remembered Voldemort's laugh and she felt anger engulf her body. How could she ignore it when he was making it so difficult to?


	33. Expecto Patronum

Days weren’t going well. Weeks were passing with nothing but stress for Eliza. The interview she read in The Quibbler didn’t affect her at all but when Harry caught her alone in the common room and told her his recent dreams with Voldemort, Eliza’s reaction was peculiar.

“Who was there with him? Rookwood, you said?” She asked with a poker face.

“Yes. You don’t seem surprised.” Harry said a bit taken aback by her behavior.

“I have no reason to be. We both knew this would happen from the moment he surfaced.”

It was quite worrying how she wouldn’t express her emotions anymore. If anything, it looked like she was secretly doing Occlumency.

Eliza tried. She asked Snape to teach her too but he was vehement on not touching her mind.

“Is it because you’d see mom’s face again? Or maybe you’re scared of what I dream?” She snapped after one of their lessons.

Snape glared at her but didn’t give her the response she wanted, “If you want to do something reckless then you may as well use Potter’s mind to give the Dark Lord a glimpse of where you are and what you do.” He said in a low, dangerous voice.

“I’m not Harry. My mind doesn’t work like his. I can take Occlumency ser-”

“No.” Snape hissed. He looked like he was ready to use the cruciatus curse on her just for his personal enjoyment.

Eliza glared at her professor and slammed the door shut behind her. She was so angry that she hoped she’d meet a Slytherin and curse him until she calmed down. No one was around yet; she glanced once or twice over her shoulder, feeling like someone was watching her.

* * *

Next day, she was feeling ready to curse some Slytherins. Her dreams of her mother became slightly different as if she was seeing it from a different point of view. That was a very good cause for stress in her case because she was sure the new point of view was Voldemort’s yet she was sure she wasn’t going through the same dream state as Harry.

McGonagall was quite worried when she saw Eliza’s pale face in her class.

“Molley, stay behind.”

Eliza gathered her books and walked to her professor’s desk, her right leg still in pain from her last training session. McGonagall looked at her student with a soft, motherly glint and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, grasping it softly.

“Are you alright? You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine professor,” She started softly, her tired eyes showing the opposite, “This year’s been very hectic from reasons you know.”

It wasn’t a secret that McGonagall probably knew what was happening in her house.

“Don’t force yourself, Molley. You are not your mother and will never be.”

The Transfiguration professor seemed genuinely worried. The green eyed witch smiled and nodded.

The same day, during dinner, she was listening to Dean and Seamus discussing about the ten Death Eaters when noise from the entrance Hall became louder and louder. Students walked out, curious what was happening but Eliza stayed in the back. Professor Trelawney looked horrible and two large trunks were standing at her feet. Umbridge was there as well and she looked incredibly content with herself.

“She’s crying.” Eliza mumbled, feeling dejected for not having any power to fight back against that pink buffoon.

“I believe she’s doing a favor to the school, actually.” Malfoy sneaked behind her, watching everything like it was soap opera, “We weren’t learning anything useful anyway.” He continued, laughing when McGonagall hurried to her colleague’s aid.

Eliza turned to him and scoffed, “You have no empathy.”

He shrugged, like everything was a big joke to him, “Not for her.”

Eliza watched him lean against the wall, his eyes folded in front of his chest, when the doors opened and Dumbledore hurried outside. Thankfully, Trelawney was still allowed to live in Hogwarts even if she has been dismissed from her job.

“Dumbledore is soft.” Malfoy sneered, his eyebrows furrowing together into a menacing glare.

“A quality you shall never experience because you are a cold hearted scoundrel. How pitiful, Mr Malfoy.” She mocked the blond, sounding exactly like a pissed off Slytherin which made the students in the close range laugh under their breaths.

She left him there, plotting her demise. The brunette was quite stressed with other stuff and Draco Malfoy was last on her list of dangerous wizards.

Their next Divination class went interesting. Because Trelawney has been officially sacked, Dumbledore hired Firenze, a centaur. the lesson was not as boring as Eliza expected but what surprised her was Seamus at the end of it.

“Look, I know I’ve been a massive asshole to Harry and Dean told me about these DA meetings. I’m quite behind so I was wondering if you could help me revise everything.” He said as seriously as possible.

Eliza blinked, confusion all over her face. “Alright.”

Their lessons were taking place in the Room of Requirement but not on the same days as the DA. By the following meeting, Seamus was up to date with everything Harry taught his fellow members.

“You taught him everything in one week?” Ron asked, completely amazed by her.

Eliza nodded, “I did but I think he hates me now. I might have been a bit harsh.”

Just as she said that, Seamus turned to look at her. She cracked a smile and he frowned. Ron chuckled next to Eliza and tried to conjure a Patronus. Harry decided they were far enough to start with something more advanced.

“Well anyway, show me your Patronus, Ron.” Eliza said as she turned to him expectantly.

The boy’s eyes widened and tried to impress his friend. It failed. He could barely create a foam so he needed more practice to create a form.

“Expecto Patronum!” She heard someone that sounded a lot like Cho Chang scream.

Another person screamed and she saw a very faint form running around. It was coming from Hermione.

Eliza moved out of the way, leaving the Patronus move around freely even if it was pretty small.

Harry smiled when saw Eliza there, happy that she started to get more involved.

Unlike Harry, Eliza was being harsher and was being slightly rude when they weren’t concentrating on the task. She probably took that from Snape when he was training her but it looked like it was working well.

“Hey, Liz! Show us your Patronus! Come on!” Fred and George appeared on each side and leaned over her shoulders.

Eliza bit her lip and glanced at Harry before she grabbed her wand, pointing it ahead, “Expecto Patronum,” She mumbled, the familiar form of a werewolf contouring in front of everyone.

Harry chuckled while the rest were watching the werewolf beam excitedly.

“Wow!”

Harry shook his head and urged everyone to go back to work. He glanced at Eliza and saw her eyes following her Patronus until it faded.

“Are you alright? You look like you’ve got something in your mind.” He started aware that Cho was just a few feet from them.

He didn’t want to make it seem like he was getting too close to Eliza, not after she misunderstood about Hermione.

“It’s him. He’s messing with my mind. I think he wants me to see his point of view.” She whispered careful not to draw attention.

Harry frowned, “His point of view on what? Us? Me? The weapon?”

Eliza chuckled and shook her head, “Mom. Voldemort wants me to see mom as he sees her.”

Harry looked confused yet altogether alarmed. He acknowledged her information but he couldn’t quite point out any connections between their dreams. It seemed Voldemort wasn’t interfering too much into Eliza’s head.

* * *

During the lesson, Eliza concentrated on helping Neville with his technique. He was getting the hang of it faster than she expected.

Suddenly, she felt something tug on her pants again. Eliza looked down and saw Furvus looking at her with wide worried eyes. On the other side, Dobby was tugging on Harry’s robes. From what she could understand, Umbridge found out about the DA.

“Get out of here!” Harry screamed and the whole lot hurried through the door.

Eliza grabbed her kitten but didn’t run out of there. Harry was the last to leave and she stopped right in front of the door.

“Well, well, well. Somehow I am not even surprised to see you helping Potter.” That voice was not Malfoy’s but Pansy’s.

She waltzed inside the Room of Requirement and went straight for the list of the DA members. The filthy Slytherin girl waved it in front of Eliza smugly before walking out.

“Hey, Parkinson! You think you did a great deed now but you will regret it later!” Eliza screamed without sounding necessary angry.

Pansy glared at Eliza, “Are you threatening me, Molley?” She screamed in an annoying voice before she grabbed her wand out and pointed at her. “You take care what you say or you will regret it! I’m sure we can do without another half blood!”

Oh, she thought Eliza was a  _half blood_. So Malfoy didn’t tell anyone about her family, not even his faithful friends. That was good to know.

“Yes. Just another half blood.” Eliza mumbled as she turned her back to the furious girl and walked back to the common room.

Eliza was in front of the Fat Lady when she heard whispering from the other side of the portrait. She gave the password quickly and saw the others talking together.

“Parkinson got the list and Umbridge got Harry.” Eliza announced before taking a seat next to Ron.

“We’re in so much trouble.” Lavender whispered, her face getting pale in fear.

Eliza glanced at Seamus, who was unfortunate enough to have such an eventful first DA day. Her eyes then landed on others and she felt the knot in her stomach loosen up again.

“Just because we got in trouble doesn’t mean it’s done. We can still train by ourselves whenever we get the chance. Harry taught you enough, you have to take the threads now.”

Lavender scoffed, “That’s easy for you to say. Your name wasn’t on the list.”

Hermione’s eyes widened and she fidgeted nervously, “Actually, it was. I wrote it on before the meeting at Hog’s Head.”

Eliza stared at her bushy haired friend with a smirk on her lips. It was obvious for anyone that she wasn’t mad.

“You’ve been quite the law breaker lately.” The green eyed witch stated bemusedly.

Ron chuckled and nodded while the awkward atmosphere lightened.

That didn’t mean the next day was fine. No, it was far from fine and Eliza was sure something big must have happened because Umbridge became the Headmistress of Hogwarts overnight.

The day progressed very slowly until lunch came around. From the look of the disaster and the fireworks that had suspicious forms, Eliza was sure the Weasley twins had something to do with it. However disruptive they were, Eliza quite enjoyed them for the rest of the lessons and she wasn’t the only one.

That night in the common room, Eliza saw Fred waving Furvus around. Her eye twitched but decided to let him enjoy it for the moment. It was suspicious how a firework looked exactly like a bigger and larger black cat.

Next morning, Eliza was going down for breakfast when Malfoy intercepted her in the Entrance Hall.

“We need to talk.” He looked serious and for a moment Eliza felt like punching him in the face.

“I don’t want to speak to anyone who helps Umbridge destroy Hogwarts. In case Parkinson didn’t announce you, my name was also on the DA list. I guess that makes me a  _half blood_  lawbreaker.”

She sounded really mad and took care to emphasize the blood title.

“She was careful to tell me that a few times, yes. Would you have preferred me to go around and tell everyone who’s your father?” He sneered, dropping the nice act right away.

“That would’ve been interesting. I wonder what your father would’ve said. Last time you told me your mother wants me safe. For whatever reason, your Death Eater parents want little Molley protected.” Eliza said slowly, having such joy that she could barely contain her laughter.

Malfoy looked stunned. He glared at her but didn’t leave; he actually grabbed her harshly and pushed her into the passage towards the kitchen.

“You and your foul mouth won’t be safe anymore if you don’t listen to me. There is someone here.” He dropped his voice as if he was telling her a huge secret, “Someone who knows who you are. They’ve been watching you for a while now. My father said it shouldn’t be a problem now that the Dark Lord knows where you are but he wants to-”

Eliza blocked him off completely. So Voldemort knew where she was, it wasn’t just weird dreams.  _He knows I’m at Hogwarts with Harry and Dumbledore._

“What now? He wants to kill me?” She asked without caring that he was still talking.

Draco’s piercing eyes glared at her, “Didn’t I tell you just now that my father is delaying that? Besides, the one who wants to kill you is your dear aunt, Bellatrix.”

That didn’t even surprise her anymore.

* * *

A few days later, while she was preparing to go into the dungeons, she saw Snape walking right at her. She blinked when he pushed her aside harshly.

"Our lessons are over." He announced curtly.

"Wh-what about Occlumency?" She asked softly, knowing it would make him angry.

He did look annoyed, "I told you I am not going to teach you Occlumency. Now, get out of here." He said as he turned to go into his office. 

"But- but I'm not ready! I'm-" 

He ignored her completely.  _Well, I guess now I have more time for myself,_  she thought yet she didn't feel happy at all. 

Going into the common room, she had no idea what to do. Her homework was done and she had nothing about Defensive against the Dark Arts that she hadn't read. Snape made sure of that personally. 

"So you're not taking Occlumency anymore either?" She asked what she eavesdropped from Hermione.

Harry nodded. 

"Why? And don't give me a stupid reason." She added when she saw Harry open his mouth.

"Have you ever wondered what kind of man was Sirius when he was our age?" Harry asked after he thought of his answer.

Eliza rubbed her neck tiredly, "Not exactly. Remus told me about their youthful years and he did say James and Sirius were a bit of a blockheads. He also said they were good people and hardworking but they did have some trouble behaving. Yeah...but I was more curious about my mom." 

Harry looked at Eliza and chuckled bitterly. So everything Snape said about his father was true. Everything he said about Sirius might be true as well. 

"I saw them in the Pensieve. I was curious and took a peek at Snape's memories. I saw our fathers bullying Snape." He said sorrowfully. 

"Did you see my mom there?" She asked with wide eyes.

Harry shook his head disappointingly, "Just in the exam. They were having their O.W.Ls. Your mom finished really fast and spent the rest of the time glaring at Sirius. But afterwards, she vanished." 

Eliza sighed and leaned back in the comfortable armchair, "Well, we're not our fathers. We may have trouble behaving too and we may be reckless but we have our own characteristics that we inherited from our mothers." She finished with a frown. 

Now that she was thinking about that, Sirius was really nice compared to the mysterious Ophelia. 

* * *

However, Eliza's words didn't offer Harry any comfort and he found it vital to ask Sirius personally just what kind of person was his father. Fred and George helped that happen by creating a diversion that ended up with the twins out of Hogwarts.

"It's so silent, isn't it?" Eliza asked Hermione the night after the twins literally flied away. 

"I do think it's a pity that they left but we have to prepare for exams too. You should focus on that." Hermione mumbled from behind a book. She was revising and taking supplementary notes for Ron and Harry. 

"Did you have your career advise with McGonagall?" Eliza continued, interrupting Hermione's studying. 

The bushy haired girl nodded, "Did you tell her you want to work as an Auror?" 

"Yes. She advised me to follow the Potions path but I know what I want." Eliza mumbled and rolled her eyes, "Besides, I don't think Snape wants to spend more time around me than he does already. He looks at me and sees dad. Every time he calls me Black, I can hear the spite in his voice."

Hermione glanced around, making sure that nobody was around before she turned to Eliza, "Remember when you told me that you dream your mother? A few nights ago I heard you speak Parsletongue. I don't know what you said but- Liz, maybe you should tell-"

"No. I don't speak Parsletongue, Hermione. Maybe I just repeated what I heard in the dream but that's all. Dumbledore is not here and I'm not going to tell anyone in the Order about this. It's  _my_ business." Eliza said firmly, looking at Hermione with a blank face yet her eyes darkened considerably.

Hermione didn't open up that subject anymore, not even when they were studying in the library. The fifth-years were so stressed that you could feel the tension rising in the room. By the time the Gryffindor match against Ravenclaw came around, Eliza lost every ounce of desire to study anymore. Her head hurt even more and she was feeling like she was missing on something. 

"D'you think Ron will make it?" Seamus asked while they were walking to the pitch.

Eliza remembered the others matches and cringed, shaking her head slowly.

"They'd need a miracle." Eliza responded bluntly. 

Surprisingly enough, Gryffindor did win and the Slytherin chant 'Weasley is Our King' took a sudden turn and became music to the ears for Gryffindor.

For the next days, Ron talked only about his amazing save for Gryffindor. Eliza's headache aggravated as exams were getting closer and she was sure her head will explode before the first exam could begin. 

"You look pale. Are you sure you don't want to see Madame Pomf-"

"No, Hermione. I'm fine. It's just stress." Eliza mumbled, feeling the vein on her forehead tremble. 

However, two days before the first exam, Eliza felt like a thousand knives were penetrating her head and her ears were ringing. The high pitched noise was making it hard for her to concentrate and the noise around the common room was only intensifying the pain.

"Is she alright? She looks worse than Hannah Abott and she is losing her mind." Harry asked Hermione when he saw Eliza walk the stairs to her dormitory. 

Hermione waited until the brunette was out of sight before she turned to her best friends with a frown.

"There's something going with her. Ever since she stopped her lessons with Snape, she's been having dreams. It was fine until she started to hiss and speak Parsletongue in her sleep." She whispered worriedly.

Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances before Harry spoke, "She doesn't know Parsletongue. Remus would know, he raised her." 

Hermione sighed, "But isn't strange how these headaches started at the same time? I'm telling you, she's not stressed. She moans about the pain in her head even in her sleep and Lavender heard her hiss one night." 

"O.W.L.s can affect people, Hermione. Maybe she took some potion for stress and it's backfiring now." Ron said before glancing at the other students who looked just as pale as Eliza.

"I'm telling you it's not the O.W.L.s. I think she should see Snape or else her head might actually explode."

Harry listened to Hermione, whose worry was reasoned but couldn't help feel like he shouldn't interfere. Snape was ignoring him and his revision wasn't going extraordinary; besides, he had a promise to fulfill that he wasn't content of either. 

* * *

When Hermione entered the room, she found Lavender and Parvati sleeping while Eliza's cat was staring at his owner with the same amount of worry as herself. She went to Eliza's side and saw her friend sweating and frowning in her sleep. 

Eliza's dream had nothing to do with her friends or herself, really. She's been having the same dream every night and the ending was more or less the same: she was being tortured.

_Like any other night, Eliza found herself in Ophelia's house in Ireland. It was raining heavily and her mother was standing in front of the door, completely wet like she fought the weather to return home._

_But the house didn't look homey, it was very cold and dusty. The furniture was covered with white blankets and some portions on the wall were covered in molds._

_Eliza moved into the living room and took a long and careful look around, as if to see if there was someone hiding or if there's been any disruptions to it. She went into the kitchen next and she looked through the cabinets, searching for something._

_Then reality struck her: Eliza was searching for any kind of magic that could give away her location. She was hiding and her head was aching from all the interference. It was like a radio trying to be tuned yet something was blocking it._

_From the kitchen, Eliza went upstairs into an empty room that was connected to a bathroom. She entered and took her clothes off before looking at her reflection in the mirror._

_Those green eyes were not hers and that body covered in bruises and deep, bloody wounds were definitely not hers. It was Ophelia and she was in a deplorable state. That short dark hair that Eliza remembered her mother had was long and wet, she had a bruise on her left cheek, right under the eye and above everything else, she was pregnant. She was over four months because the baby bump was impossible to miss. It was interesting how the portion around the bump was clean of any scratches or bruises yet her chest, hands and face were a horrible sight._

_Flinching at every move, Ophelia entered the bathtub and showered, careful not to pressure herself and end up having a spontaneous abortion. No, she was very careful even when she moved in the room and searched for some clothes. The dresser was already equipped which meant she prepared beforehand._

_Sudden movements grabbed her attention but she didn't look nervous. Whoever was walking up the stairs was careful not to make much noise, not even when he opened the door and came to her aid._

_"Severus, they know. They know I've been hiding with you for the past 7 months." She sounded so calm that even Eliza -as Ophelia- was surprised._

_"Malfoy's taking care of that." He said in a voice that seemed so different from the usual cranky Snape. His eyes fell on her bump and for a second, the flicker of hatred appeared in his eyes. "Who knows about this house?"_

_"No one but you and Sirius." Her response visibly pissed Snape off._

_"He'll get you killed. This baby-" He started, his nose scrunching in disgust at the mention of the baby, "This baby won't grow as a normal child."_

_"She will. My baby girl will have the life I didn't have. I will make sure of that. No matter how much I treasure our friendship and how grateful I am to you, I will kill whoever endangers her." Eliza found herself hissing at Snape._

_The younger Severus looked at Ophelia with a tinge of melancholy before he gave up; surprisingly fast too. His eyes softened up as he noticed the scratches and bruises but Ophelia was more concerned of something else._

_"Where is Regulus?" She asked softly, her green eyes staring at Snape with worry._

_"He's better than you. I arrived just before his punishment and his cries were nothing compared to yours." Snape said, feeling sick at the memory._

_Suddenly, the dream stopped with everyone standing still. Eliza noticed she wasn't Ophelia anymore, she could move around freely but she didn't. The pain in her head started again and it was so bad that she closed her eyes and fell on the bed._

_"Open your eyes, Eliza. Look at what your mother has done." A breathy voice whispered._

_Eliza, more or less forced, opened her eyes and saw blood all around the bed. Her mother was facing her yet her eyes were glossy and emotionless. Eliza's eyes fell on the bump and noticed something moving in it wildly._

_"Come closer." The voice whispered softly. "Come closer, my child."_

_The sound of that voice, so airy and cold, was begrudging the young student to touch her mother's baby bump. The movement inside was getting suspicious and deranged and Eliza tried her hardest to keep the distance from it. But the voice wasn't willing to accept her disappointing acts._

_"Come closer! Come!" The voice hissed in anger as an invisible force was drawing her towards Ophelia. "Come to me, Eliza. Your destiny is with me." He continued._

_Eliza was moving chaotically, her head aching badly yet she knew she should never approach whatever that was. She was squirming so hard and screaming yet the force was very strong. She was moving her hands against the force but in doing so, she touched the baby bump slightly._

_"No! No, no! I don't want to!" Eliza screamed but her hand grazed over the baby bump and-_

"Eliza-Liz-Eliza!" Hermione shook her friend a few times but she wouldn't wake up. She was hissing and moving her hands around while sweating like crazy. 

Eliza woke up when something bit her hand. Furvus dug his pointy teeth into her left hand and bit hard, drawing blood. She was breathing heavily and her heart was beating really fast. She was still scared, even if her dorm mates were staring at her in worry.

"Are you alright now? Was it such a bad dream?" Lavender asked softly, keeping the distance. 

"I-I-" 

She was not alright, not at all and now Hermione was going to tell McGonagall and she was going to send Eliza straight to Snape.


	34. Come to Me

Exams came and Hermione didn’t say a word about Eliza to anyone, not even Harry or Ron. Eliza glanced at her in the Great Hall but Hermione was nagging Ron about something.

Eliza’s headaches ceased after that last dream but the stress she accumulated kicked in. She was anxious and paranoid and would avoid Slytherins at all costs. Blaise tried to talk to her but she literally ran away and kept close to Seamus and Dean.

Another person Eliza didn’t want to see was Snape. It was pretty obvious something happened because she wouldn’t even glance at the staff table.

“Will you be alright?” Hermione asked right before their first O.W.L.

Eliza ignored her and waited for her turn in silence. Charms was not a problem anymore with the intense training she got in the last two summers. Since they were entering alphabetically for the practical examination, Molley was bound to enter with Malfoy. Next was Transfiguration, where Eliza didn’t really fuss over because she knew what she had to do. Though it could have gone better, Eliza hoped she passed Herbology on Wednesday but she was sure she passed Defense against the Dark Arts with flying colors on Thursday.

While Hermione was temperamental about everything and would spontaneously threat Eliza that she would go and tell someone about her headaches and dreams, Eliza ignored her. Ron and Harry were doing the same while revising for Potions. Once or twice, Eliza had to quiz them but overall, they were prepared.

Potions on Monday was finished in record time and Eliza watched the rest of the class work happily. It was really different without Snape around glaring at every Gryffindor but Eliza found that she was happy during Potions anyway.

Care of Magical Creatures proved to be quite fun even if Eliza got scratched once or twice. The witch that was examining Eliza was taken aback when the student laughed while feeding and cleaning out a Fire Crab. Astronomy went bad but not worse than Divination. Both Ron and Harry were wearing the same expression as she was, aware they passed through Divination with lies and stories they made up in haste.

During the Astronomy practical examination something happened, something that didn’t seem to touch Eliza as much as it should have.

“Hagrid got sacked and you’re not exactly worried. I thought you enjoyed his lessons and everything.” Seamus started when they got back in the common room.

Eliza glanced at Harry, Ron and Hermione before she turned back to Seamus, “He won't be gone for long. Once Dumbledore returns, everything will come back to normal.” She said firmly, cutting off any way Seamus could continue that subject.

Once in the dormitory, Hermione turned to Eliza and started to talk about Hagrid and Umbridge until she fell asleep. Eliza didn’t, she couldn’t go to sleep until the last exam was over or else she’d have that dream again.

During History of Magic, Eliza concentrated hard on writing everything she could remember but she could barely make out the questions because she hadn’t slept in a few days. Her eyes were tearing up when she heard Harry fall on the ground, squirming. The whole room was watching like it was a show before the professor took Harry and hurried to the Hospital Wing.

After the exam, Eliza got dragged away by Ron and Hermione and met Harry in the Entrance Hall. His eyes were wide and he looked scared. Eliza understood why a few minutes later when he told them what happened.

“What do you mean Sirius is in danger?” Eliza hissed, everything leaving her mind at the news. “Sirius doesn’t leave the house, Harry. He’s not stupid.”

“I’m telling you what I saw. Voldemort’s got Sirius.”

“Where is he?” Hermione asked with a pale face.

“I dunno how but I know exactly where. There’s a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls and they’re at the end of row ninety-seven. He’s trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from there...he’s torturing him, says he’ll end by killing him!” Harry continued, his hands trembling.

Eliza’s eyes widened and she felt her hands shaking in fear and anger.

“We have to get there so we can rescue Sirius.” Harry added, looking at Eliza for support. She nodded, straightening right away.

Somehow, they made a plan and although Hermione was still not assured that Sirius was indeed in trouble, Ginny and Luna appeared at the right moment to follow with the plan. Then, while they were waiting for Harry to get the Invisibility Cloak, Hermione turned to Eliza.

“You shouldn’t come. You should help Ron with the-”

By now Eliza couldn’t care less that Ginny and Luna were listening and openly said, “Sirius is my father. Do you really expect me to go have fun while he might be facing Voldemort?”

Hermione didn’t look affected, “No. I think-I think you should go to Snape for-”

Eliza’s eyes narrowed at Hermione, those green eyes looking furious. Even Ginny and Luna were surprised by the way the atmosphere around Eliza stiffened.

But that might have been a good advice because as Harry was coming their way, she noticed someone watching her very closely. He ran when their eyes met and Eliza remembered Draco’s warning.

“Hermione, you’re only going to see if dad is home, right?” She asked, her eyes searching for the boy. “It won’t take long, correct?” She asked again.

Hermione frowned, confused how Eliza changed so drastically. “Well, yes. 5 minutes is all we get.”

“I’ll be back in 5 minutes then.” She said before she ran off the same way Harry just came from.

* * *

Eliza ran without a clear aim and she found herself walking into a dead end. She was on her way back when she heard a snicker and stopped. Out of thin air, someone appeared behind and pushed her into an empty classroom that seemed to have gotten really dusty over the years.

 

Even the doorknob was dusty and no matter how hard she was trying, it wouldn’t budge; actually, while she tried to use the Alohomora spell, it backfired and she got thrown into the opposite wall, hitting the back of her head.

* * *

Eliza groaned when she woke up and felt her head pounding. She was still inside the old classroom and the door was still closed. Since she didn’t have any other and more civilized way to get out, she used what she could get. It was quite clear that magic wasn’t working when she tried to explode the door and waz thrown again. She had to use muggle ways and thankfully, she has already done research just in case Kreacher would lock her outside the Black mansion.

“Let’s see,”

She looked around but couldn’t find much to use. Luckily, she noticed what looked like an old cover of a book, made by the same material as one of a card. She had to wipe the dust off firstly –and there was a lot- before she wedged the cover into the gap between the door and the frame and bent it away from the knob. It opened widely, also leaving Eliza with a new sense of achievement.

When the brunette got into the Entrance Hall, someone grabbed her aside.

“Zabini, what are you doing?” She hissed, already having too many problems to solve.

“Umbridge caught your group of friends trying to sneak out through the chimney,” He whispered, glancing around warily, “Professor Snape told me to advise you to not get involved at all.” He continued.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked but he didn’t seem to know either.

Giving a long and heavy sigh, she figured it was probably Snape who threw her into a locked classroom only to keep her away from whatever was happening.

“Well, thank you Blaise.” She smiled and patted him on the head like he was a dog before running towards Umbridge’s office.

She was right around the corner when she heard Umbridge’s high pitched voice roaring at Snape for Veritaserum. Her green eyes glared at nothing in particular yet she had the urge to petrify that pink buffoon. Unfortunately, when Snape turned around, ready to leave, he saw her and dragged her along by the collar of her shirt until he got into the corridor.

“You are not allowed to follow Potter.” He started, confusing her as to what his reasons were. However, he continued, “His mind is weak and can easily be penetrated by Voldemort.”

“He already knows I’m alive.” The green eyed witch retorted coldly.

“But he doesn’t know where you are. He is using Potter to lure you in as much as finding the prophecy.” He probably shouldn’t have said the latter but he couldn’t care less in that moment. Eliza was a secrecy that shall remain intact in Ophelia’s memory and for the sake of everyone involved with her.

“Is that why you just decided to lock me away?” She hissed but Snape seemed surprised by that.

Her eyes softened and her voice lowered when she figured Snape had no idea what she was talking about.

“Someone locked me away. Someone’s been watching me this whole year.”

The former Death Eater stared at her blankly and looking into his eyes, Eliza couldn’t help but remember how humane he looked when he was talking to her mother.

“If you follow Potter every time, you’ll end up just like your mother.” He said, not an ounce of disgust on his face.

Eliza knew what he meant so she didn’t take it as bad as she did before.

“That’s my choice.”

* * *

Eliza was running through the castle, looking for a hint as to where her friends have gone. She was just turning the corner towards the Entrance Hall when she got hit in the back of her head hard. To her attacker’s disappointment she fell but didn’t faint

“I know you,” She mumbled, feeling her head vibrate when she spoke, “You transferred when I did from Durmstrang. Did your headmaster send you to keep an eye on me?”

The boy shook his head and bent in front of her, glaring at her for some reason, “I only had to inform him every so often of your little relationship with Potter.”

“I wasn’t expecting Karkaroff to be so interested in friendship.” She spat with hatred and irony, getting herself hit in the face by the Slytherin.

“Not him. The Dark Lord.” He slurred before he pointed his wand at her, “Crucio!”

Granted to her extreme training with Snape, she bit her lip in pain but could still grab him by his robe. Her pupils dilated from the pain and she could barely speak through gritted teeth.

“Stupefy!” She hissed.

The boy started to laugh, thinking that she was silly to use a spell without a wand. Once she focused on the subject, he got thrown against the ceiling, falling unconscious right away.

But the pain was still there and the deadly curses weren’t torturous for nothing. Her body was aching and blood was dripping from how hard she bit her lip. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, slowly breathing in and out and using her stubbornness to force her body to fight the pain. It worked in some way because she got enough strength to get up and limp towards the only person who could help her.

* * *

When Malfoy walked out of the Hospital Wing, he didn’t expect to see the big green eyes of a black cat waiting for him patiently. 

They stared at each other blankly until Furvus meowed again and again, getting louder and drawing attention. He tried to pass him by and even sneered at the cat but something about those eyes seemed very familiar.

“Stupid cat, what do you want?” He snapped, glaring at the little black cat.

Furvus meowed and crawled up his leg, startling him with the boldness. The blond shook his leg but the cat didn’t budge; it actually felt like he plunged his claws in his skin.

“Bugger off.” Malfoy mumbled but the cat was earnestly looking at him with those big eyes.

In the end, Draco gave up and followed the perky cat wherever it wanted, watching him wag his tail happily while walking with his head up like he was a noble. It was rather cute in some way.

Eliza was leaning against the wall, taking another break when she saw Furvus walking down the corridor towards her. The first thought was how her cat sneaked out of the common room but then she remembered that the same cat is a messenger for the Order.

Behind Furvus was someone else, someone that instantly made her sigh.

“Why are we meeting like this...” She whispered, wincing when his eyes fell on her face.

Draco’s eyes widened and grabbed her chin, inspecting what looked like a really bad bruise on her cheek.

“Who hit you?” He asked dead serious. His eyes hardened and he looked mature, like she could depend on him.

“I need to get in the Ministry.” Her response had nothing to do with his question.

Malfoy stared at her for a few minutes before he sighed and folded his arms in front of his chest.

“Why would I help you?”

Eliza frowned, “Because your mother asked you to.”

That seemed to do the job as he remembered he was supposed to keep an eye out for her. With no smartass response, he wrapped one hand around her waist and helped her walk to Umbridge’s office. She was conflicted between thanking him and not but she decided to keep that for later.

* * *

When Eliza got into the Ministry, she wasn’t sure what exactly she was searching for or where exactly she was.

She wandered the corridors of the Ministry for a while until she heard noise above. The noise was spreading through the whole building and Eliza was confused how other people couldn’t hear it.

She was in the Atrium as she found out walking to the fountain in the middle of it. She took a break before going for the lift. She remembered Harry talking about the Department of Mysteries and went straight to that level.

However, when she got there, she found herself standing confused in the middle of the hall. Her head was getting dizzy and she had to keep her balance by standing with one leg forward and one in the back, swaying from time to time.

“This year is the worst.” She mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

Truthfully, she preferred standing with Sirius and Remus over everything that has happened at Hogwarts. It gave her both emotional and physical pain and she was growing angrier and sadder with every day.

A sudden voice started to murmur something, comforting her in a way even if it was incoherent. Eliza looked ahead and concentrated on that voice alone, following it unconsciously to a door hidden between two walls. She entered only to find the source was an archway in the distance. The voice was luring her in and Eliza couldn’t fight against it; the brunette couldn’t take her eyes off the archway and the soul reaching out to her.

Eliza scrunched her eyes trying to see what was going on around and stopped. Death Eaters were there and they had Harry and Neville. Bellatrix Lestrange looked ready to kill the latter until a few more people walked through another door and intervened.

Eliza’s eyes widened in both shock and fear. She couldn’t move and couldn’t take her eyes off the sight. Her heart was beating really fast and she was panicking on the inside even if she looked completely calm on the outside. She was there, hiding while her friends’ lives were in danger.

The members of the Order were fighting the Death Eaters but it didn’t seem like they could win. Eliza noticed one of them going for Remus from behind and her blood boiled.

“Give me the prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!”

Eliza knew that voice, even dreamed it a few times. Out of reflex, she took a step back and hid behind the wall. Lucius Malfoy looked exactly like the last time she saw him, back when he watched Ophelia die.

“I’ll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now or watch your friends die!” He threatened, Eliza’s eyes widening at his venomous tone.

_“He will get you killed sooner or later.”_

Those words were echoing in her mind, repeating again and again overwhelming her being.

 _ **“Come to me.”**_  She heard it again, clearly than ever before. She could only squirm and cry and it was pitiful.

“It’s time to embrace my fear.” She mumbled.

Eliza watched the other fight and noticed Harry barely holding Neville while trying to leave. Before thinking it through, she jumped down and ran towards her godfather,

“Crucio!” She screamed, pointing her wand at the Death Eater attacking Remus.

Lupin’s eyes widened at her sight and pulled her closer to him, “Liz, you have to leave.”

“No.” She coldly answered, her head turning towards the man she has been waiting to meet for ten years.

“Listen to me, you  _have to leave_. If they find you-“

“He knows already. He’s been messing with my mind for the past month.” Eliza announced, her eyes falling over her father and a face she hated with every fiber.

She squirmed out of Lupin’s grasp and glared at him before quickly turning around and disarming another Death Eater. While doing so, someone else got the chance to see her...

“Little bastard child,” Bellatrix Lestrange looked straight into Eliza’s eyes, ignoring Sirius completely. “Look who came from the dead! Ophelia’s remnant!” Her laughter was even worse now that Eliza could hear it for real.

Sirius turned immediately towards the new attraction but so did Malfoy. Sirius looked furious and scared at the same time but Lucius Malfoy froze. Eliza stared at Malfoy for a few seconds before she ducked. Bellatrix Lestrange missed her by a few centimeters.

“Liz! Eliza, leave. You have to leave right now.  _Go_  after Harry, GO!” Sirius screamed but Bellatrix was chuckling to herself.

“How nice. Little Lizzy will witness another parent dying~”

Eliza’s eyes hardened and she naively attacked Bellatrix. It didn’t touch her at all so the woman started to laugh loudly.

“Crucio!” Bellatrix screamed at Eliza but Sirius pushed her aside harshly and blocked it.

“Come on, you can do better than that!” He yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

Belatrix winked at Eliza with a sadistic smirk before she hit him again, straight in the chest.

Sirius’ eyes widened in shock and he could barely look at his daughter for one last time.

Time stopped in that moment. Eliza’s eyes widened as she heard it louder than ever in her mind...Voldemort...  _Come to me, Eliza. Everyone else is bound to die sooner or later. I am the only one who can mend your pain. Come to me._

She could see it once again, her parent dying right in front of her eyes while she could only watch from the side, powerless. Eliza fell on her knees and felt water drip down her cheeks; she was crying, the image of her mother flashing before her eyes.

 _“No,”_  She mumbled, her father’s soul already gone. “No! No! NO!” She screamed, throwing her wand away. “DAD! NO!”

Her eyes hardened and all the anger she felt came back to her; the loneliness was too much and she wasn’t sure she could resist without her father.

Eliza Black was alone and not even Remus Lupin could make that sorrow fade away; no one could. It was too much for her heart so she ran towards the veil inside the archway, ready to give herself into the temptation of death.

_“Stupefy!”_

The spell hit her full force and threw her aside.

Eliza was going through the worst moment of her life. The pain was so overwhelming that she lied there, on her back, crying. She moved her head slightly to the side and saw two people staring at her with remotely alike sorrowful expressions before she fainted.


	35. Cold

Eliza woke up in the Hospital Wing in Hogwarts. She could remember everything clearly except the person who attacked her in the end.

Her body was regaining strength well, especially after a day of long dreamless sleep but her heart cringed. She didn’t want to show her weak side to anyone so she held a poker face for the remaining days in Hogwarts.

She wasn’t the only one hurt. Hermione and Ron had to be kept for more days as well. Friends came around and gave sweets to Eliza, Seamus even spent half a day telling her about this girl he had a crush on while Dean filled the rest of the day telling her about football championships.

Harry was coming every day and though he tried to speak to her, she ignored him. Luna, Ginny and Neville came pretty often as well and would spend almost the whole day, especially since Hermione’s and Ron’s beds were across Eliza’s.

Reading the newspaper was not helping Eliza either. She listened but not once looked up. Furvus was glued to her side and not once left.

“That’s one loyal pet right there.” Ron mumbled, watching Furvus guard his owner. “And those green eyes...I guess that’s how Eliza’s animagus would look?”

Neville glanced at the kitten too and felt a shiver down his spine, “I guess he does seem human sometimes.”

It was quite lively and everyone knew Harry was not a crazy lunatic spreading out lies. For the moment, it was peace. It was sickening.

“Hey, Liz?”

Eliza didn’t have to look up to know who came to her.

“I just- I- I’m sorry. It’s all my fault and-”

“It is.” She interrupted, “It’s all your fault.” Eliza continued coldly.

Harry’s been apologizing for the past three days and no matter how pitiful he looked doing that, Eliza’s heart closed completely. Nothing could get past it.

Next day everyone was allowed to leave and Eliza decided to go around, have a walk. She met Peeves but he acted like he didn’t see her. She heard paintings hush between themselves but she ignored them.

Somehow, she ended up in the dungeons. Her legs led her in front of Snape’s office but she wasn’t sure she wanted to see the happy face of someone who loathed her father. Instead, she turned around and continued to roam around.

It was already night when she found herself in front of Snape’s office once more. This time, she knocked but no one responded so she invited herself in.

Willy was there as always. He opened his eyes when she entered and waved his wings in greeting. Eliza walked to him and for the first time, patted him softly. He didn’t resist at all as if he knew she’s in pain.

She thought Snape would return soon but he didn’t. In the end, she sat down under the window sill and pulled her legs in front of her chest, holding them tightly. It was silent and lonely and Eliza could still hear Sirius’ loud laughter echoing in Grimmauld Place.

Was that how he felt when Ophelia died? Was that how he felt when Regulus died? Eliza was sure he didn’t dwell on it much since it was war back then. But then, the second war was just around the corner and Voldemort wasn’t going to die out of nowhere.

What about her then? She had no family left and her only hope at a bright future was fading slowly.  _No, there’s Remus,_  a voice inside her head said.  _But Remus is not Sirius._

Yes...no one could replace Sirius. These thoughts were so heartbreaking that she started to cry. She spent a few hours standing there, crying.

* * *

Her eyes have lost that youthful glint and the color of her iris darkened considerably. Eliza was empty and she looked drained out of emotions and life. She was standing on her bed all alone, staring ahead at an empty wall with nothing; no regret, no sorrow, no guilt and no expectation whatsoever.

Her mind was blank and her heart was aching, reactions that slowly intesified as days passed. Bellatrix was still alive and that wicked laughter was haunting Eliza day and night, forcing her to live through that pain again; it was torture. Everything she learned during that year at Hogwarts was insignificant because she couldn’t protect her father, she was a coward and her self confidence dropped lower than zero.

“Eliza,”

Remus was keeping an eye out, just in case his goddaughter would try something foolish again. She didn’t, she wasn’t doing anything at all. Food and water became venomous and Eliza was afraid that if she would go down in the kitchen, she would remember; memories were everywhere inside that house and that was the sole reason she didn’t leave her room ever since she came back to Grimmauld Place.

“Eliza, you have to eat at least.” He tried again but she didn’t seem to have heard him.

Downstairs, Tonks was feeling terrible. Watching Remus was even sadder than watching Eliza and the fault of Sirius dying was also pressuring Tonks. They were cousins, she was Eliza’s aunt in a way but Eliza was not even accepting Remus who raised her since she was a kid.

Actually, they knew they couldn’t trust the brunette after everything that’s been going on so they decided to take her back to Grimmauld Place instead of taking her to Lupin’s place.

“How is she?” Tonks asked worriedly when Remus entered the kitchen.

He shook his head and took a seat at the table.

“She’s getting worse and that wall she built between herself and the world became thicker. I don’t know what to do.” He admitted, grabbing a hand through his hair as he sighed.

“Maybe she should get out of this house; it’s poisonous for her, especially after last summer. She’s taking the melancholy from the house itself and Mrs. Black is not helping.” The young woman explained, watching Remus’ expression fall even more.

For the last few weeks she hasn’t seen one smile and it seemed like he aged a few more years.

“I don’t know how to tell her about Sirius’ will. He left everything to Harry and I’m not sure she will understand why.”

“I’ll talk to her. Just leave it to me, alright?” She was suspiciously optimistic.

* * *

Tonks wasn’t the kind to give up easily and she was going to get Eliza out of the house, even if that meant she had to drag her. For those kind of moments, when the wizarding world was dark and heavy, there was the muggle world and that was exactly where Tonks dragged Eliza.

They walked around for a few hours until they stopped for lunch somewhere in a cosy restaurant.

“I have something to tell you,” Tonks begun, knowing that what she was going to announce was certainly going to snatch some reaction from the brunette, “We’ll have to leave the house for a while. It might be enchanted and it might endanger the secrets of the Order.”

Eliza heard that loud and clear and her eyes moved on the woman. It was difficult to understand what was going through her head because Eliza wasn’t sketching even one expression or at least a twitch.

“What enchantment?” She asked coldly.

“According to Sirius’ will, everything he possesses will go to Harry.“

For a moment, Tonks was sure she saw anger flash in Eliza’s eyes. It was normal, after all she was the rightful inheritor, but there was a reason why Sirius didn’t want Eliza to get anything that was related to the Black family.

“You have to understand that Sirius hated his family just as much as they hated him. He wanted to free you from this heavy burden and give you a choice.” Tonks found it necessary to explain that to her.

“Does that include changing my name?” The green eyed witch asked, her face expressionless.

Tonks sighed, “Maybe. Like I said, that’s your choice. You can take your mother’s name or-”

“I won’t. I’ll use that name in Hogwarts until I’ll graduate and then everyone will know me as a Black.” Eliza interfered, her tone raising a bit in annoyance.

“The enchantment placed over the house may come down to the name and blood as well. Even if she doesn’t admit it, Mrs. Black would prefer you than Harry. However, officially, twelve Grimmauld Place is Harry’s as well as the-”

“Is that everything you wanted to tell me? Is that why you dragged me out here? To tell me that I have  _nothing_?” The brunette hissed.

Eliza’s heavy gaze was making Tonks very uncomfortable. She was just a sixteen years old girl but the atmosphere around her was incredibly overwhelming. A few muggles noticed as well and moved a bit further from their table.

“You know, Liz, it’s not yours or Harry’s fault that Sirius died. You should find a different way to express your anger.” Tonks started after a few seconds of silence.

She was conflicted between saying more and not because she didn’t know how Eliza will react.

Eliza didn’t react at all; she continued to stare at her plate, playing with the food instead of eating it.

“You should meet Harry. He will understand you better than any of us.” Tonks muttered.

“I doubt that.”

The way back was even more awkward than before and Eliza distanced a bit more from Tonks. However, she accepted the news and only got mad when it came to her name. It was obvious she wasn’t touched by insignificant details about her father’s will and didn’t want to hold onto something that was his.

When they entered the house, Eliza went straight into her room, passing Kreacher on the way. The house elf snickered and mumbled something about Sirius but Eliza couldn’t care less. She went in her room and took a long look at Regulus’ stuff. Voldemort was back and everyone knew it; everyone was finally admitting to themselves that the darkness was getting stronger.

* * *

Eliza didn’t come down until dinner when she only walked inside the drawing room and stared at the Black family tapestry for a while. Just as Tonks said, the Order moved the headquarters to somewhere else and they didn’t tell her where.

 _You can stay here, if you feel comfortable,_  said Remus and the others agreed. However, only he and Tonks would come around and check on her but most of the time, she was alone. Furvus was coming and going regularly while Willy finally started to act like her owl not Snape’s.

One of the days, Eliza stopped in front of Mrs. Black’s portrait and wondered if she should speak to her or not. Sirius said before that his mother would say anything to annoy her but his mother also recognized she knew Ophelia was a pure-blood...

“Maybe another time.” Eliza whispered as not to awake her grandmother.

When Eliza returned to her room, Willy was already waiting inside glaring at Furvus. Eliza sighed and grabbed the letter from Willy harsher than she was intending to, almost taking him along since he wasn’t letting it go easily either.

There were letters from her friends coming regularly and Eliza was expecting another one from Hermione; surprisingly, it was from Malfoy.

“I thought he’s in Azkaban.” She mumbled to herself, Willy’s eyes boring into her forehead.

_I would lie if I were to say I am not happy that your late father has died under such circumstances. My family will keep you protected for as long as the Dark Lord is taking care of his own affairs. However, dear Eliza, I am afraid that you shall not disturb Draco during his mission._

She read it twice before her eyes fell over the last part.  _You shall not disturb Draco during his mission._  Eliza couldn’t help but scoff at the mere thought; she had better things to do than meddle in Draco’s troublesome life affairs.

* * *

“Take care of yourself and please write to me as often as possible.”

Remus was being annoyingly overprotective. No matter how parental he was being, he wasn’t Sirius and their relationship was never going to be the same.

Furvus jumped on Eliza’s shoulder and she apparated at the station before Remus could say something else. Apparating was something she learned by herself with the help of Furvus. He brought her some books and granted to her recent state of mind, she succeeded from the first try.

Of course, Remus seemed annoyed that she didn’t inform him beforehand but Moody looked very content by the news.

Apparating in King’s Cross was entirely new for her and compared to the other years, the crowd was making her nauseous. The brunette sneaked through the students avoiding any skin ship, no matter how insignificant.

Unfortunately, Seamus and Dean were already there and she quickly changed directions, entering the train with some Ravenclaws and making herself disappear through the back, in search of a silent cabin.

Standing all alone wasn’t the best idea because she’s been all alone for most of the summer. Even if the Order changed their location, Eliza stayed in Grimmauld Place.

Remus was watching her like she was going to turn against them and follow Voldemort against humanity. Of course that wasn’t going to happen but she never spoke against that theory either, giving them only vague answers when they were asking.

Her eyes were set on the familiar scenery, watching it as if it was the first time. It all looked so fragile, ready to break and bent at the slightest snap of someone’s finger.

Furvus meowed and drew her attention on what he wanted. It was quite an old story but Furvus wanted his owner to become an animagus. Eliza chuckled when she saw the book under his paw, old and rusty yet full of memories.

She grabbed it and flipped through the pages until she got to the chapter about animagi. The process seemed a bit too much for her at the moment so she just closed it and placed it aside. Furvus sat on it, making sure if she were to forget it there, he’d take it for her.

* * *

When they got to Hogwarts it was night and Eliza waited for everyone to get off before she did. Unfortunately, she met Malfoy. She could already envision Draco doing dirty work for Voldemort, posing as a threat and getting killed when he wasn’t needed anymore, just like the rest of his followers.

Even more unfortunate was when Blaise saw her. Eliza wasn’t sure when it happened but Blaise Zabini became quite fond of his potions partner. The black sharp-looking boy decided he wanted to take the carriage with her which raised a few questions all around.

“Are you ditching your friends so easily?” She asked once they got inside. “Why are you here?” She asked the blond who followed Blaise.

Malfoy sneered but he looked like he wanted to say something. Eliza was sure he was going to ramble about his father or something close to that subject but he didn’t. Draco didn’t utter a word.

“There’s a new teacher, Slughorn. I’m not so sure what he’ll teach but his intentions are clear.” Blaise rounded up his summer vacation with that new piece. “He’s having this Slug Club where he invites only students with some sort of connections.”

“Strange since Longbottom has nothing of interest.” Malfoy scowled in his seat. He heard the story before because Blaise didn't give any names.

Eliza glanced at him before her eyes fell on his body. If he had a mission then he had the Mark; she was sure of that.

“Neville’s parents were amazing Aurors. He’s getting good at Defense against the Dark Arts too.” She retorted coldly.

“I doubt that. If-”

“It’s not a matter of your concern anyway. You’re going to train hard to become a good, loyal dog as well. The difference is made by the masters.” She bluntly admitted.

Blaise frowned, his eyes glancing from Malfoy to Eliza. It was really intense and he couldn’t help feel like those two had something more going on than they wanted to admit.

“What are you saying?” The blond hissed, leaning towards her.

“You tell me. Your father advised me not to interfere with your _mission_. Are you finally going to _step up_ and _take your father's place_ now that _he's in Azkaban_?” She emphasized every word she knew would piss Draco off.

“You don't know anything.” The blond said through gritted teeth.


	36. Potions

When the carriage stopped, Eliza took her time and waited until Malfoy was up the stairs before she got out. Hermione and Ron were already by the front doors and Eliza decided she didn't want to see them or speak to them before preparing mentally. 

It was far easier entering with Blaise because even after he heard her taunting Draco, he didn't ask about it. 

"You look very stiff." He said once they entered the Entrance Hall. 

"I have a lot going on." She mumbled bluntly, not caring anymore how her words could be interpreted. 

Eliza got into the Great Hall after everyone else entered already. Blaise chuckled and waited with her which was very strange.

"You're a bit peculiar this year, aren't you?" She whispered to him, her eyes scanning everyone who passed them.

"I thought I already made myself clear, though." 

Eliza furrowed her eyebrows together, thinking intensely what Blaise told her last year or the years before. Then, she remembered...

"We're not friends, Zabini." She mumbled before she entered the Great Hall.

Walking closer to the Gryffindor table and her friends was awkward. Eliza thought about it over and over; it wasn’t their fault that Bellatrix killed Sirius so she should at least be nice. 

When she got there, she sat between Dean and Seamus and didn't say a word to anyone. She didn't really need to with how much Seamus was talking.

Harry wasn't there and the Sorting Ceremony began. Eliza couldn't help but feel relieved until Hermione turned to her with a frown.

“Eliza, how was your summer? You didn’t respond to any of my letters.” Hermione started, watching closely as Eliza tensed.  
  
“Nothing major happened. The Order has been very active but so have been the Death Eaters.” She responded without the slightest crack in her voice.  
  
Hermione sighed and glanced at Ginny. Eliza looked and seemed to act a lot like Tonks. They were both family to Sirius and even if Eliza took the hit harder than anyone else (even Harry), it wasn't their fault. 

"Have you moved back with Remus?" Hermione asked softly.

"No. I spent the whole time with my dear grandmother and Kreacher." 

There was a slight tinge of annoyance when she mentioned those two hateful creatures but nothing else. She looked like she wasn't really bothered that she's been mostly alone.

Hermione and Ron exchanged worried looks before they dropped the subject. It felt like it was still too early to say anything about Sirius or the will.

"Do you think she knows?" Ron leaned towards Hermione and whispered. "Her father left everything he had to Harry. Wouldn't that make her mad or something?"

Hermione glanced at Eliza but nothing about her looked like she'd care about stuff like that. Besides, she knew Eliza treasured her family more than her inheritance and she spent most of her childhood with Remus. 

"I don't think she cares." The bushy haired girl responded in the end. "She's always been more interested in her mother."

* * *

By the time Harry arrived, Ron was stuffed while Hermione was watching him disgusted. Eliza's eyes fell over the glasses boy for a moment before she turned to Parvati and listened to whatever she was saying. 

Eavesdropping to what the trio was discussing, she heard that Tonks was stationed in Hogsmeade and Malfoy broke Harry's nose while he was spying on him. Hearing that bit about his mission made her glance at the Slytherin table over her shoulder. The blond was acting normal but something was off about him.

Same as every year, Dumbledore had his little speech at the end of the feast and introduced Horace Slughorn as the new Potions professor. That automatically led to Snape's transfer to Defense against the Dark Arts which raised many questions between the students.

"It shouldn't be hard right? You were pretty harsh when you taught me." Seamus mumbled while the table emptied. "He can't be worse than Umbridge."

"He's a good teacher." Eliza admitted sincerely.

Harry turned to his friend with a frown. He knew she trained with him almost every week last year and he saw in their DA meetings that Eliza's skills improved greatly. But still, having Snape so close to the Dark Arts was worrying and annoying.

When Dumbledore finished, Eliza got up and walked out as fast as possible. She got in the common room with Hermione who was doing her work as a Prefect. 

"Did you get your results?" The library rat asked once they got inside.

"Yes. I didn't fail Divination, surprisingly. But I decided to focus on what I do best." Eliza explained as Furvus jumped on her lap.

Hermione knew what Eliza was good at: Potions, Transfiguration and Defense against the Dark Arts. 

* * *

Next morning, Eliza dressed slowly and took her time walking down into the Great Hall. She only got some coffee before McGonagall came over. 

"You've got an 'Outstanding' in Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts and I am very pleased to see you got 'Exceeded Expectations' in Transfiguration and Charms. It seems that your career choice is not that far fetched, Molley. Here." McGonagall said before she gave Eliza her timetable. 

Reading it, she realized she had quite a lot of time for herself. She gave up on everything that seemed irrelevant for an Auror and decided to pursue a more important path: the one of revenge.

"Hey, Liz!" Ron waved from his armchair lazily. "Got a free period?" 

Eliza glanced from Ron to Harry and stopped. The glasses boy was staring at her with the same amount of intensity and Ron was sure he could see anger flash between them.

"Um- so what's your timetable then?" Ron asked, getting up and snatching the paper from her. "Oh, it's the same as ours! That means we have every class together..." 

Ron's voice lowered and slowed down when he saw the tension between his friends growing. Harry and Eliza were going to see each other every day in every class and work together if they were asked to. Ron was curious how that'll go.

He found out during Defense against the Dark Arts. When Eliza entered, she felt a little thrill. The curtains were drawn and the overall aspect was really dark. It was obvious Snape's tastes were a bit peculiar. 

Eliza wanted to sit in the very back but Dean urged her to sit with him. After Snape finished his love testimony for the Dark Arts, he started the lesson with the non-verbal spells. They had to work in pairs which led Dean and Seamus to have a slight argument who'd take her.

"Come on, mate. You know I suck at this. You learned it before in the DA, I didn't have enough time." Seamus started but Dean knew Eliza already taught him everything he had to know. 

Dean sighed and agreed but Seamus regretted his decision in the minute she blocked his jinx without a blink and threw him against Dean with a counter-jinx.

"How the heck are you so good at this?" Seamus muttered as he got back into position. 

Eliza's eyes flickered to Snape, whose eyes were on Harry. He was scowling all through the lesson and when he tried to prove how incompetent Harry was, it backfired. 

However, seeing how powerful was the counter-jinx and how quick witted was Harry, Eliza couldn't help but chuckle bemusedly. It reminded her of Sirius and the way he just couldn't shut up in front of Snape.

"It didn't go well at all. I didn't get to touch you once." Seamus complained during lunch. 

Eliza blinked innocently and ate her pudding. "You won't get the chance. You should pair up with someone who'd go easy on you."

Everyone around her turned in surprise and confusion. They heard her speak like that before but she never meant anything by it. Now, it sounded like she was looking down at her friends.

"You're so very modest, aren't you?" Seamus said sarcastically, his eyes narrowing at his friend.

Eliza shrugged. "I'm only stating the obvious. It's a matter of time but I might lose control and the one hurt will be you not me. It's for your own safety."

For some reason, Harry believed that. Unfortunately, he was the only one.

* * *

Next was double Potions with Slughorn. Very few people were in front of the doors in the dungeon and from the looks of it, there was no one coming late. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Eliza were the only Gryffindors there, Ernie Macmillan was the only Hufflepuff and there were a few Ravenclaws that Eliza saw during the DA meetings. Now, turning towards the Slytherins, she could see Nott, Malfoy, Parkinson and Zabini. 

Just like any other year, Eliza walked next to Blaise. He smiled when he saw her take her usual spot even if she was avoiding his eyes.

At the Gryffindor table, Ernie was confused, "What is going on there?" He asked Harry pointing at the odd pair. 

"Eliza and Zabini are a well known pair in Potions. It's nothing, really. You'll get used to it." Ron responded, shrugging the pair off quickly.

Ernie was still confused but forgot it once Slughorn started to speak. He presented them three cauldrons, each having a famous potion: Polyjuice, Veritaserum and Amortentia. There was another cauldron on Slughorn's desk, one he didn't introduce.

“Sir? You haven't told us what's in that one.”

“Oh, yes. What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as-”

“Liquid Luck,” Hermione interrupted but the professor was content with the answer as long as it was correct.

“Yes, Miss Granger. Liquid luck. Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip and you will find that all of your endeavors succeed. At least until the effects wears off,” Slughorn explained further, getting the attention of more than half of the class, “So this is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck to the student who, in the hour that remains manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death he recipes for which can be found on page 10 of your books. I should point out, however, only once did a student manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence!” He smiled and encouraged his students, something Eliza found weird after all the time she spent with Snape.

“It should be really easy, right? You are a potions specialist, Molley.” Zabini already knew he had a chance with Eliza there.

“I guess so.” She mumbled grumpily before getting to work.

* * *

“Are you doing it right?” Blaise asked once he noticed Malfoy's potion was not even close to the color it should.

But Eliza’s eyes were set on Harry, who seemed to work silently and with no sudden effects or anything oozing out of his cauldron. She glanced at her book before she glanced at her own cauldron, becoming more and more confused.

“Not even Hermione’s got it right.” She mumbled, taking a peak at Zabini’s cauldron.

“Is there a problem, miss-“

Eliza's head raised instantly, “Molley, sir.”

Slughorn’s eyes widened and he leaned closer just to be sure he wasn’t seeing a ghost. Now that she was in front of him, he could see those green eyes perfectly.

“My, don’t you look like a copy of your mother.” He was amazed, “Let’s hope you didn’t inherit her struggle with potions.”

“She’s actually very talented at it.” Zabini cut in, patting her in a friendly manner. 

The professor seemed surprised by the interaction and nodded before moving on.

* * *

“Your friendship with Zabini never ceases to amaze me.” Ronald muttered after the class was over. It was still shocking that he took Eliza's side and even acted fondly.

Eliza rolled her eyes, "We're not friends."

In the end, Harry did a perfect Draught of Living Death, which surprised both Hermione and Eliza.

“I thought you hated potions.” Eliza mumbled, changing the subject completely.

Harry chuckled and rubbed his neck sheepishly, "I was lucky. You see, I found these notes in my manual." 

Eliza raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to catch a glimpse of the notes. Right before she could see something, Ginny came in and pushed it aside. It seemed she had a very bad experience of following suspicious notes. 

Hermione checked it out but the book didn't flip or burn or did anything remotely strange. 

"I think you're overreacting. This book is nothing but a huge help for those who desperately need it." Eliza said, staring straight at Harry and Ron without any sympathy. 

"Didn't you have your mother's diary as well?" Harry retorted which immediately drew a gasp from Ginny.

"My mother sucked at Potions. Her notes have been written by someone else." She answered sincerely. 

"Yeah, professor Slughorn mentioned that too." Hermione added thoughtfully. 

* * *

After dinner, Eliza walked back into the common room all alone while the rest spent a little bit more time in the Great Hall. 

“Eliza! It’s been ages since we talked,” A bright Lavender Brown tagged along, surprising the brunette with her positivism.

“Yes. It's not like we're in the same house and sleep in the same room.” Eliza couldn't help but be sarcastic. That didn't seem to reach Lavender's ears.

“I noticed you usually spend your free time with Ron and his friends,”

Eliza would have begged to differ, knowing that she had her own troubles and she spent far more time alone.

“I was wondering, is Ronald- you know-“

Lavender blushed, giving Eliza the exact idea what her dorm mate wanted.

“Available?” Eliza chuckled, “Officially, he is. Unofficially, on the other side-“  
  
She didn’t have time to finish her sentence because Lavender already heard what she wanted and the rest didn’t matter.

“That’s good to know. Well, can you put a nice word in for me?” She asked hopefully.

Eliza was sincerely feeling like digging a hole and falling in it for what she was going to say, “I-Sure?”

Lavender smiled brightly and hugged Eliza tightly before running off. It was a known fact that Eliza hated meddling into other peoples lives so she wasn’t going to. She was probably not going to tell him anything; it wasn’t like Lavender wasn’t being obvious.

* * *

One week passed like that and Saturday night Harry was more than excited to go to his private lessons. Eliza only raised an eyebrow and watched him hurry out of the common room before she turned to Hermione and Ron.

"He has private lessons again?" She asked, though it sounded like she was jealous not curious.

Ron nodded eagerly, "He has. With Dumbledore. Isn't that interesting?"

"Yes, it is..." Eliza trailed, turning around to watch the fire in the chimney.

If Harry was having private lessons with Dumbledore, was that a sign that the headmaster will finally tell him everything about Voldemort? Did that mean Eliza will finally find out the truth about her mother? That was everything she could think about for the whole night. 

Unfortunately Harry didn't say anything the next day or the next or at all, actually. The work was piling up and Eliza was getting busy herself, especially with Seamus asking for tutoring in Defense against the Dark Arts. Meals became moments of scrutinizing sight as more and more students were struggling with non-verbal spells. Charms and Transfiguration became harder too and no one seemed to understand from the first try because they had to memorize a lot every day.

"Try again." Eliza mumbled during a break in the common room. She was doing her homework  while Neville, Seamus and Dean were trying to jinx her in any way possible. 

"You know, you were more involved last year when you taught me defensive spells~" Seamus moaned.

At that moment, Neville must have thought of Aguamenti because Seamus got drained in water. It was only a small jet that vanished rather quickly but Neville was more than content.

"See? Hard work pays off. Try again." Eliza continued. 

"By the way, Liz! Saturday morning are tryouts for the team. I'm going to try again for Keeper. You should try too for Beaters. It would help right now with-" 

 _"Ron._ " Hermione interrupted, hitting him lightly with a book. 

Eliza raised her head and looked at the ginger boy with a bemused expression. Hermione sighed and shook her head while Harry was not even going to bother. 

"It would help me, wouldn't it? Hitting Bludgers for anger management, maybe? One might even hit you straight in the face with me in the team." 

Harry chuckled under his hand while Hermione rolled her eyes. Both of them could quite see Eliza hitting the Bludger just to entertain herself but it would get a bit hard to control her during a match, especially against Slytherin. 

Ron's face paled when she mentioned hitting him, which was probably not the point he wanted to get to. 

When Saturday came around, Hermione tried her best to wake Eliza and drag her to the pitch but the green eyed witch wouldn’t budge. She was sleeping so deeply that Hermione had to check if she was breathing.

When she woke up, she went for a late breakfast and met Blaise on the way.  
  
Eliza glanced around and noticed that a lot of seats were available yet he chose the one next to her.  
  
“You are being suspicious.”  
  
“Why?” He sounded genuinely innocent, “I’m standing with a friend, aren’t I?”  
  
"That word is inappropriate for our partnership. We work together under certain circumstances and that's all. Besides, you said it yourself when we first paired up: you are a Slytherin and outside the classroom, you should bully me not have a friendly chat with me. Sparkles ensues between Gryffindor and Slytherin."  
  
That seemed to have triggered something in his mind because he seemed to have figured something out.

"What about **you** and Slytherins?" He asked having a certain playful glint in his eyes.  
  
"What about? I believe I made my discomfort rather obvious." She was being very formal for how annoyed she looked.  
  
"Are you sure? Because from my point of view, you became a bit of a distraction for some of us." Blaise said before he glanced at his table.   
  
He could have looked at anyone but Eliza's eyes fell over the blond. He wasn't looking at them, it looked like he was thinking deeply about something.

"He seems distracted." She mumbled, returning her attention on the boy next to her.  
  
"He's been like that ever since the year begun. You know, it's curious how you looked at Malfoy out of everyone at the table. I never said it was him that's been distracted." He narrowed his eyes at her and leaned in, "You've had your eyes on him last year too."  
  
He was having fun messing around with her and it pissed her off. She threw him a glare before she got up. 

"I'm sure he has bigger problems than little petty me." Her voice became colder and with a quick and almost unnoticeable smile, she left.

However, on the way towards the pitch, Eliza couldn't help but think about what Blaise said. _You've had your eyes on him last year too._ Did she? She was so taken with the Lucius Malfoy-Ophelia Molley relationship that she couldn't help but glance at Malfoy here and there.

When she got there, the first thing she noticed was Harry's face. He was tired and looked overall displeased. The one flying at the moment was a guy Eliza hadn't seen before. The brunette walked towards Hermione and noticed something that might have been a non-verbal spell. Whoever was flying missed and next flew a familiar ginger head. 

"Hey." Eliza said before she sat next to Hermione.

The girl tensed, "Hey. Ron's next." She said quietly.

Behind them, Eliza heard Lavender give a cheer to Ron before blushing. Her green eyes fell over Hermione who looked uncomfortable and grumpy. An idea struck the brunette, one that brought a rare soft smile on her face but it was still only an idea.

Luckily, Ron entered the team and everyone looked happy except the guy who lost the Keeper position. The trio wanted to visit Hagrid but Eliza wanted to go back inside the castle and have a chat with Snape. It was time for Legilimency. She really wanted to get inside Voldemort's head and see for herself just what was Ophelia to him. 

* * *

"No." Snape responded shortly. "I will not teach you Legilimency. I believe we had this conversation before and-"

"Why? Why don't you want me to protect my mind and learn how to get inside his? What's so precious that I can't find?" She snapped, glaring at him. 

"Nothing. There's nothing for you to know."

"Says the _Secret Keeper_." 

That hit a chord because Snape's hateful snarl fell for a moment. He looked like he was getting angry again but something was definitely off about the way he was staring into her eyes.

"Why don't you explain to me how exactly you became Ophelia's Secret Keeper? She was pregnant and she needed help. You offered it. Only you and Sirius knew where she was." Eliza continued seeing how Snape's anger was transforming into surprise. 

"Where did you hear that?" He asked in a calm manner.

"Voldemort. He entered my mind and showed it to me. He locked her away and she escaped with the help of her loyal friends. Then, how come Voldemort was not mad that his servant helped Ophelia break free and hide?" 

"I didn't help her break free. It would have been a stupidity to cross the Dark Lord's wishes."

"And someone paid for doing that. Who did?" She asked, leaning closer to him.

But it didn't look like Snape was going to tell her. She just admitted that Voldemort's been meddling with her mind and shifting memories before showing them to her yet Snape wasn't going to tell her anything.

"That's none of your concerns. Now, if you don't have anything relevant to say-"

" _Relevant_? Everything I told you is _irrelevant_? Are you kidding me now?" She asked, barely containing her anger in. "Aren't you curious why I have these dreams? I saw you in Ireland! She was in pain! She had been tortured! And you? _You weren't any help._ "

A sudden wave of pain went through her body but she bit her lip instead of screaming. Snape just attacked her and he looked content with himself.

"Leave." He said in his usual scoffing manner. " **LEAVE!** " He screamed before pointing his wand at her and throwing her out of his office. 

Walking back into the common room, Eliza wanted to break something. Peeves was hitting a nearby student with what looked like balls from Trelawney's Solar figure. When he noticed her walking up the stairs, he stopped and flied past her.

"Wait." She said as she turned to the poltergeist. "Why are you avoiding me? You even go for Harry if he's around so why?"

"I'm not stupid. I'd get punished if I'd touch angry little Molley." Peves responded, quite annoyed about her presence.

"I thought you don't care. You do whatever you want, don't you? No one in this castle, not even the Bloody Baron, would ever punish you for doing anything to me." 

"It's not him. It's not about the castle. _He_ 'd know." The ghost said before throwing a planet at the head of Ernie Macmillan in the Entrance Hall. He started to laugh loudly and left Eliza alone.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Eliza was still thinking of her mother. Peeves was the only ghost, be it poltergeist or normal, who was avoiding her at all costs. Besides, Eliza only heard him call her 'little angry Molley' whatever that meant. There was another ghost that confused Eliza with her mother and she was curious if Peeves wasn't doing the same. But that was unlikely, wasn't it? Ophelia would look older by now and wouldn't be in Hogwarts. 

Also, she got the chance to look over Harry's Potions manual and was rather surprised to see so many notes from her mother's diary. 

"So, whoever is the Half Blood Prince, he's the one who helped your mother with her diary?" Ron asked after she told them.

"I think he copied the notes into a diary and gave it to her. After a while, she just started taking notes to his notes." She explained. 

"So they must have been close. He went through a lot of work to copy everything just to give it to her." Hermione added, looking thoughtfully at the manual. "Were they in the same house?"

"I don't know. As you can see, my mother is quite a mysterious character. Whenever I get too close to the truth, something else pops up."

"Have you asked Sirius or Remus about it?" Hermione asked softly, knowing Sirius' name may not bring good reactions.

Eliza either controlled herself or just ignored it altogether, "They all trusted her even if they knew she was keeping certain secrets from them. No one knew where she was going during the breaks and she wasn't acting strange when she was in Hogwarts."

While Ron and Hermione went back to their homework, Eliza took a long look at the handwriting. It looked very familiar but she couldn't point out where she had seen it before except her mother's diary.

"Where's Harry?" She asked after she realized it was too silent.

"Detention with Snape, remember? It got postponed this Saturday." Ron responded before giving up on his Transfiguration homework. "I can't believe how long this is." He moaned before his eyes moved on Eliza. "Are you alright? Still thinking of the Half Blood Prince?"

Eliza nodded. There were just so many questions and no definite answers. 

* * *

Harry was getting really good at Potions and his attention was fully on his friends and his research. On the other side, Eliza decided to follow the instructions in her mother's diary once again. It proved very helpful and every week Eliza and Harry were surprising Slughorn with their rapidity and efficiency.  
  
"Miss Molley, Mister Zabini, I am stunned. Another potion made perfectly!"

Blaise was standing happily next to her, aware that she was doing the hard work while he was helping here and there but getting the same praise.  
  
"Thank you, professor."  
  
"I have to recognize, your talent is quite a surprise. None of your parents were very good at potions, not even your father."

She tensed, glancing at the professor with a stern look that immediately shut him up; at least during class.  
  
After class was another story.  
  
"I take it that you know." She started once everyone walked out, surprising Slughorn.  
  
"Oh, you are still here," He trailed, walking towards his desk, "Dumbledore informed me about you. I was surprised that you have been found after so long."  
  
"You knew my parents." Eliza continued, walking closer to him.  
  
"Ah, yes. Ophelia was a smart woman but she was lacking in potions, Sirius wasn't better either but he had a certain charm."  
  
"Then why am I so good in Potions?" She asked bluntly, caressing the table on the way towards him.  
  
Slughorn gulped, his eyes looking anywhere but her. The young girl had a dark charm that was reminding him of a certain student he had.  
  
"I'm sure you will find that out soon." He whispered, turning his back on her and gathering the utensils left.  
  
Eliza stared at his back, her eyes empty yet the darkness was there, forming from all the pain and stress she had gathered over the years.


	37. Eyes

Days passed incredibly fast and Eliza's skills in Potions became more and more evident and surprising for Slughorn. Harry's manual was incredibly helpful as well and not only for potion making. 

"So you see I found this spell called Muffliato and-" Harry stopped when he saw Hermione's disapproving face. 

"Seriously, are you still reading that? Are you going to try every handwritten spell of this unknown person?" Hermione snapped but Harry didn't look affected at all.

"Yes. Just because they are handwritten spells doesn't mean they are dangerous."

Hermione wasn't buying that. She scoffed and turned to Eliza, "Would you use every note in your mother's diary knowing that it wasn't her who wrote it?"

Eliza nodded without a second thought bringing a winning smile on Harry's face. 

"You two- really! It's dangerous!"

"That's up to us, who use the spell. Maybe this Half Blood Prince was intending on helping kids who are bullied in school. Besides, there are spells that everyone know."

Ron and Harry nodded eagerly to everything Eliza said. She had a very solid point that not even Hermione could fight. 

"Well, if that's everything I'd like to go back. I have a few boys to watch jinxing each other without speaking. Oh and Ron-" The ginger's head snapped towards her, "You know Ginny is dating Dean right?"

Ron nodded slowly, a frown on his face.

Eliza glanced at Hermione before catching a glimpse of Lavender. "Well, you should look around yourself too." She advised but it didn't look like he got it.   

* * *

It was during the Hogsmeade break in October when Eliza wandered the village for a while, searching for Tonks. It should have been very easy to find her but it felt like she was avoiding Eliza on purpose.

In the end, Eliza retreated into the Three Broomsticks. She noticed Blaise talking to some friends of his and Slughorn drinking at the bar. She turned towards the professor quickly, avoiding another curious discussion with Blaise.

"Professor," She started, startling him when she suddenly appeared to his right.

"Ah, Eliza. I shouldn't be surprised to see you here." He laughed.

"Professor, I have been very curious lately about my mother's family and her heritage." She started, like the subject was as casual as the weather.

Slughorn's smile dropped and he looked uncomfortable, "Curiosity can lead you to dangerous grounds, my dear. What you will find out might disappoint you." 

His wise words weren't leaving any impression on her and she made it clear by straightening her back and leaning towards him.   
  
"My mother had secrets that not many knew of." 

"Yes, Ophelia was very secretive. But she did use to tell her friends everything, the three Slytherins." Slughorn responded, his grasp on his Butterbeer tightening.

Eliza nodded along, "My mother was friends with Slytherins?" She asked, ignoring the fact that she knew already.

Slughorn nodded, "Yes. Especially Lucius Malfoy, if I remember well. My memory may be a bit rusty but I will never forget that odd friendship between your mother and Malfoy. He was the leader of Slytherins, much like his son is right now. And Ophelia was-"

"A vague character among many others." Eliza completed, surprising the professor with the boldness, "What about the others? I didn't have the chance to ask her because she died when I was young."

Slughorn's eyes widened and he looked down at her with pity.

"Yes, yes. Such an unfortunate death. Your mother was excelling in other subjects, especially Transfiguration." 

Eliza was sure her mother had more talent for Defense against the Dark Arts but Slughorn looked like he didn't want to give that away.

"Oh, as we speak I should ask you personally. You know, I have this supper parties now and then and I would be very pleased if you'd join me. Your friend, Mr. Zabini is invited as well. I'd love to see both of you, maybe Monday night?" He asked with a bright smile on his face yet it didn't seem to reach his eyes.

"I'm not sure I can make it. My -um- schedule is very tight. Besides, I have a-um-detention with professor Snape on Monday." She said quickly, her mind working continuously to find a believable lie. 

Slughorn's smile seemed to crack a bit around the corners, "Yes, yes. It seems professor Snape likes giving detentions.Well now, I'm sure you can come some other time."  

* * *

On the way back to the castle Eliza couldn't think of anything but how to get detention in DADA. It was quite a well known fact that she was good in it and Snape wouldn't even glimpse at her during the lesson. 

Once she got inside the castle, there was a rumor going around about a cursed object. As she entered the common room she heard the victim was Katie Bell and the object was a necklace given to her in the bathroom. 

Hermione and Ron were discussing that at dinner but Harry seemed very sure that Malfoy had something to do with it.

"But professor McGonagall said he was in detention with her. How would that work? Admit it Harry, Malfoy is not the culprit." Hermione said, aware Harry was scowling the whole time she spoke. 

Suddenly, Eliza remembered something very random, "Did anyone get an invitation to Slughorn's supper party?" 

The trio was silent as Ron's ears reddened. 

"Harry and I did. I went every time and it's not so bad..." 

Eliza wasn't so sure about that with how Hermione sounded. 

"Blaise is there as well." The bushy haired girl added but regretted it as soon as she mentioned.

"Blaise is not my friend. How would that convince me anyway?" 

Ron raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Slytherin table, "He sure acts like you two are friends. Maybe it's a scheme for Malfoy? He's gotten silent lately." 

Eliza and Harry exchanged apprehensive looks and nodded. Hermione rolled her eyes, already foreseeing what the two were thinking.

"Don't ask him about Malfoy. He doesn't look like he'd give you any insight." 

Eliza chuckled, "Oh but he does. He thinks I am Malfoy's distraction. But I won't ask Blaise. I will ask Malfoy himself." 

Hermione was worried and Ron was confused. Harry looked like he had a slight idea what she was speaking about. Malfoy did ask Eliza at the Yule Ball and there might be a chance she'd find something out. 

Monday came around and Malfoy was nowhere in sight. She was sure he was avoiding her after she told him she knew about his mission.

"You know, I was merely bluffing when I said you like Malfoy but it seems like that opened your eyes for real." Blaise said while walking to the Great Hall for dinner. 

"That's not the case." She muttered narrowing her eyes at him.

"We'll have more to discuss at the supper party tonight. Slughorn mentioned he will invite you last time. I thought that would make it more appealable." He grunted, remembering just how was the last supper party.

"I have detention with Snape. I won't come." She said innocently.

Blaise raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You don't have detention at all. How will you-"

But right as they entered the Great Hall, Snape walked past them, glowering at Eliza.

"It seems you have detention this evening, Molley. I'll expect you straight after dinner. Don't be late." He said coldly before leaving. 

Blaise was confused and Eliza was intrigued. It was strange how Snape genuinely went along with her lie. 

* * *

Just as instructed, Eliza walked into the dungeons right after dinner. It was getting colder outside and the weather was making the dungeons look like a torture house. 

Snape was at his desk when Eliza entered. She closed the door quietly and sat in front of him expectantly.

"So, will you teach me Legilimency?" She asked hopeful.

Snape looked at her for a moment before he pointed at a large shelf of nasty looking flasks and cauldrons.

"You will clean until I can see my reflection in them. You will do it without any kind of magic. Get to work." He said before his attention returned on his book.

Eliza blinked and looked at the nasty cauldrons before turning to her teacher. He was dead serious and wasn't even bothering with her.

"But I thought-"

"You wanted detention, didn't you Molley?" He interrupted, sneering at her.

She sighed heavily and grumpily started cleaning. Eliza promised herself she will never lie about detention with Snape ever again, not even if it was to save her life.

She was so tired that by the time she got in the common room she hoped she'd never see cauldrons for the rest of her life. Her back hurt and her hands looked like some spell went wrong. She was tired and she couldn't wait to go to sleep.

She was walking up the marble stairs when she heard footsteps behind her. They were coming closer in a haste so whoever was that was in hurry. She looked over her shoulder in time to see a very bothered Draco Malfoy rush to the dungeons. 

* * *

Next morning Eliza was wondering if she should tell Harry about Malfoy sneaking around late at night. It was suspicious and he looked tense. But then, maybe it was better to keep it to herself for now.

She didn't find the opportunity and on their way to Herbology she got the insight of last night's private lesson with Dumbledore. That changed the order of issues in her mind as Voldemort was far more important.

"I sympathize with him though. My mother's real parents died as well and she lived in the orphanage for a few years before Molley adopted her." Eliza mumbled from the side.

"But he became the definition of evil, in case you forgot." Ron hissed, looking at Eliza as if she had two heads. 

"But was that his fault or were the circumstances that brought him to what he is today?" 

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks.

"Are you seriously pitying him?" 

"No! Of course not. I'm just saying." Eliza defended herself. 

Harry had to agree in a way with Eliza but he couldn't quite pity the creature that killed his parents and a lot more people.

During Herbology Eliza partnered with Neville and was very pleased that she did. Later on she was walking around, looking for a silent spot so she could read more carefully the Potions manual of the Prince. She took a turn and noticed professor Slughorn coming from across the hall. Eliza's eyes widened and she panicked. She turned around and ran up the stairs, colliding into someone when she made the final step.

"What are you doing, Molley?" A familiar voice grunted.

Draco Malfoy looked the same, maybe more mature and his features sharper and he was taller than her but still the same annoying sneering prat. 

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" She retorted with a glare. 

The blond raised an eyebrow and looked at the place she just came from. No one was there but she certainly looked panicked. 

"What I do is not your business." He responded coldly as he pushed her aside and descended a few steps.

"Oh really? What about the mission? Is it going well or should I search the Daily Prophet for your murder in the next few weeks?" She taunted with a gleam of playfulness. 

He froze and tensed. The blond scoffed before he glanced at her over his shoulder. 

"Did Potter order you to question me? You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?" He snarled, reminding Eliza of Furvus when she was forcing him to take a bath. 

"He thinks you have something to do with Katie Bell's cursing incident." Eliza said, clearly not affected by it. 

The blond chuckled and walked back in front of her. "What if I am? What if I'll curse you right now?" He whispered, leaning in to intimidate her.

Eliza only blinked and kept a blank face, "I'd like to see you try." She whispered tauntingly.

The blond looked into her eyes for a few seconds, those sly entrancing green eyes and he couldn't help but remember what the Dark Lord said himself.

_“Mesmerizing green eyes deceiving those she cares about but also those who do not know her. Death follows those who look twice at her. Look into her eyes, Draco, and she will crush you using your own secrets and fears." The snake himself said that, his own stare making Draco tremble in fear._

With those words echoing in his head, Malfoy turned around and walked away.

* * *

She knew she shouldn’t interfere because something bad might happen; moreover, Lucius Malfoy warned her not to get involved but that only amplified her curiosity. Eliza started to search for Malfoy's blond head wherever she was going and would think only about that when he wasn't there.

During the Potions class, Slughorn smiled warmly at Eliza, making her feel uncomfortable.  
  
“Is there something wrong, professor?” She asked.

The man laughed and shrugged her off.

"He probably wants me to tell you about the Christmas party. He told us about it during the last meeting. He would often mention you and Potter and how he will make sure you two will come." Blaise mumbled while stirring counter-clockwise. 

Her eyes moved towards Harry unconsciously and saw him working with a serene smile on his face. That book was a miracle for him.

From the brown haired boy, her eyes drifted towards the blond. His eyes were on his cauldron, adding stuff here and there but not registering what he was doing.  
  
“I won’t be able to make it. I have more urgent matters to attend.” She started, her green orbs falling over the black boy.  
  
He raised an eyebrow and smirked when professor Slughorn glanced their way once again.

"I don't think you have a choice." 

* * *

Getting closer to Voldemort through his minions, that was her plan. Eliza started by watching Malfoy from afar but he wasn’t stupid and noticed her right away. He didn’t say anything at first but she was growing more and more obvious.

Eliza watched him leave the Great Hall and walked after him, careful to stay a few feet behind just in case he would glance over his shoulder. She learned how to hide and sneak granted to her werewolf godfather and it proved to come in handy quite a lot.

The brunette followed him up to a point where he just vanished. She looked around and inspected every corner but Malfoy was not there.

Returning to the common room with a sense of defeat, she grumpily said the password and fell on the nearest armchair. Not many people were there but she did see Harry standing on his own, his eyes flickering with jealousy.

"The green monster's oozing out of you, Potter." She started, not moving an inch from her comfortable position. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, straightening in the next second. 

Eliza chuckled darkly and pointed to the chimney. "You're burning with jealousy."

At that word Harry jumped on his feet and moved closer to her. "I'm not."

"I'm not blind, Harry. What's going on with you watching Hermione and Ron so carefully lately? Have you woken up one morning and saw Hermione in a new light?" Eliza joked but Harry looked like a bucket of freezing water just fell over his head.

"Not Hermione." He mumbled.

Eliza tilted her head to the side and waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she felt like she probably hit some disappointing memory regarding girls. From what she recalled, Harry and Cho Chang had what was a very complicated relationship last year.

"Did Ron wake up with a revelation then?" She asked, knowing she was getting closer.

"I do thing something's going on but even they don't know it." He said, laughing at the memory he suddenly had. 

"If something does happen, Hermione has a rival. Lavender asked me if Ron is available and I'm sure she will act sooner or later." Eliza explained with a grin on her face.

Harry looked genuinely surprised before he too grinned. "As long as it could help him during our upcoming match against Slytherin. Katie is still at St Mungo's and I had to ask Dean to replace her."

The way he said Dean's name, sneering as if he just saw Malfoy uncover his Dark Mark, was very funny. From the looks of it, he didn't even realize he did it.

"So it's Dean?" She asked, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You're jealous of Dean? Really? What does he have that-"

Harry's face looked redder than when he got angry that Ron wouldn't believe him during the fifth year. He leaned back so much that he looked like he was melting into the armchair. 

"It's alright, Harry. We don't choose who we like." She mumbled encouragingly. "And don't say I fancy Zabini because I'm sick of saying no so many times a day." The brunette added when she saw Harry turn to her.

"What about Malfoy? He might be a Death Eater, Liz."

Eliza groaned and threw her head back in annoyance, "I don't fancy Malfoy either. Why do people even get that idea? He only asked me to the ball because he wanted to torture me."

"You sound disappointed."

Eliza scoffed and threw a quill that appeared out of nowhere at him. It hit him straight in the head and he glared at her. 

"I see you're doing well with charms." He muttered, rubbing the side of his head.

* * *

No matter what Harry told her, she couldn't give up on following Malfoy around. She was doing rather well in every class and postponed homework for later. She was curious where he was going when he was alone and how could he vanish so suddenly.

“Are you seriously not ashamed of you, Black? Following me is foolish.” Draco’s voice resonated through the empty corridor as he got out from his hiding spot and walked towards her.

“What is the mission? What do you have to do to show your loyalty to Voldemort?” She asked straight away, annoying him with her bluntness.

"Why are you so persistent? Is has nothing to do with you." He sneered, narrowing his eyes at her. She was taller than he remembered but he was still standing one head above her.

"Does it? My mother's name seems valuable." 

She was so calm that it felt strangely familiar, like Draco was looking into those cold blue eyes. When she blinked, he saw the same malice swirling in her green orbs, at a lower scale but darkness was there under one form or another.

Malfoy sighed and rubbed his head in frustration. She wasn’t aware of what Voldemort was planning but he was; he had already seen the torture and felt the chill of death in his home.

She took one step forward and widened her eyes a bit, looking like she has lost her mind, “ _Come to me, Eliza. Everyone else is bound to die sooner or later. I am the only one who can mend your pain. Come to me._ That's what he said. Now you tell me that it doesn't raise a few questions."


	38. Sense

On the day of the match, Eliza only gave Ron a sympathetic pat on the back before sitting with Seamus. 

"You think we'll win today?" He asked before stuffing his face with toast.

Eliza looked at Ron and saw him in the most deplorable state in the past week.

"Maybe if we're very lucky." She said before taking a bite from a delicious looking apple. 

But they won. They got lucky and Ron saved every blow towards Gryffindor. It was amazing to see him play so well and Eliza was sure there was some spell involved or else he wouldn't gloat like that.

"It wasn't." Harry said once they met on the way back to the castle. "I faked dripping liquid luck in his pumpkin juice this morning."

"Power of suggestion, huh? It may not work a second time, though." Eliza added, the cheers covering most of the talking done in the vicinity.

"It doesn't have to. Maybe now he'll believe in himself and stop sulking every time." Harry continued as they got inside the castle.

Ron’s victory against Slytherins has been properly celebrated by the whole house. Eliza slipped out for one moment and when she came back, Lavender was all over the ginger. It was very weird how two people could be so all over each other. 

"It looks disturbing." She finally said to anyone close to hear.

"I know what you mean. But he has to start somewhere." Ginny answered as she passed by.

However amusing it was, parties weren't Eliza's type of noisy fun. She slipped out in complete silence and walked around thoughtfully. 

Hermione was not in the common room and Eliza was curious if she saw Ron and Lavender or not. It was better if she didn't but Harry slipped out before her which meant only one thing. Was it a disaster or wasn't it? It was confusing, love, and Eliza was the last person to give opinions over that matter.  
  
The first place she thought to go to was the library. That changed abruptly when she remembered the girl' bathroom from the second floor. She went there once and found out very plausible information. However, she was curious what the Dark Wizards knew about Voldemort and her mother. 

In the end Eliza went in the library. No one was there and she could freely read for how long she wanted. Shelf after shelf, book after book, she found nothing relevant. It was an hour later and the only interesting things she found was an article about a Morfin Gaunt that got in Azkaban and a witch that died after a muggle attacked her in Birmingham. The two articles were noted in the same year, at a difference of a few months. It was the closest she could get, really. 

On the way back, she was hoping she could meet Malfoy so that she could question him further. Luckily, she did see him standing in a howl of the wall, right below a window; his blond hair was messy and his face was paler than usually. Eliza was ready to go and bug him when she noticed he was fidgeting nervously, whispering stuff that she couldn’t hear because she was hiding too far.

She sighed and leaned against the wall, watching him squirm while at the same time trying to find his courage for whatever he had to do. Eliza couldn’t help but pity him and the direction he had chosen; whatever he was feeling at the moment was only the beginning of a very hateful life.

* * *

It was a few weeks later when Slughorn trotted to Eliza while she was in the Great Hall. Her eyes widened and she looked around for help but everyone was busy.

"Eliza, my dear! I just wanted to assure myself that you will be at my Christmas party tomorrow night! I hope Mr. Zabini told you about it? I also wanted to inform you that you can come with a partner if you'd like." He started with that perky smile of his. 

Eliza sighed and nodded. "I'll be there, professor." 

"Wonderful!" He said before he walked out of the Hall. 

"Wonderful." Eliza repeated in a less joyful tone as she sat next to Harry. "What are we going to do? I don't want to bring anyone with me. It's bad enough that he's forcing us to go." She hissed.

"At least someone's having fun." He mumbled, both Gryffindors turning towards the newest couple in the house. 

"They should have less fun then. It's disturbing and uncomfortable. I don't know how you can stay around them and not vomit." Eliza grunted when she saw the two going at it again. 

"Don't even mention it."

Thankfully, her eyes found Malfoy again and her attention shifted completely. She saw him say something to Parkinson when she hung herself over him before he got up and walked out with a frown. 

"I've gotta go. If something happens with this new issue don't tell me." She rambled before leaving.

Just like before, she followed the blond up the stairs. Unfortunately, she couldn't follow him furher because some little impediment interfered.   
  
Snape was standing before her, glaring at her. 

“Think before acting, Black. You are placing both yourself and Draco in dangerous positions.” Snape's voice echoed on the stairs.“You may not value your life but he does.”

Eliza turned towards her teacher with a frown. “And should I stay and watch him destroy his life for someone who will get him killed sooner or later? He's being used and I want to know what for."

“Stop meddling and keep yourself in the shadows.” He responded coldly, looking from the side at her in that superior manner of his as he passed her.

“Believe me, I will.” Eliza clicked her tongue before turning around and leaving.

Snape closed his eyes and sighed, having a sudden memory from when Ophelia was in her daughter's shoes.  
  
 _"You can't do it. I won't let you destroy your life, Severus!" A younger Ophelia snapped at her friend. But Snape turned his back on her, a glint of disappointment in his eyes._  
  
"My life doesn't represent a concern to you. Go play with Black and leave me alone." 

_He was really cold and those words did nothing but hurt her._  
  
"Listen to me, Sev. I know him and he will rip your heart out if he has to. Once you give your life away for someone so selfish you can't expect to ever return to a normal, happy life."

_She knew what she was talking about and Snape was aware of it. She told him the truth and trusted him with her secrets for eight years._

_"Why are you working for him, then?" He asked, glancing at her pitiful face over his shoulder._

_Ophelia sighed and looked down at the floor, "Because I have no choice."_  
  
Ophelia used to say that every time he'd ask her about her responsibilities. She never blamed anyone for her choices but she tried to help her friends choose the better life for their own safety. 

Unfortunately, Ophelia forgot they were proud and young and her life experience was hers alone. 

But Eliza wasn't her mother and no matter what blood was running through her veins, she wasn't going to surrender and submit to Ophelia's inheritance. 

* * *

Eliza couldn't sleep that night and started to play with the ring given last Christmas. The silver serpent was shining in the middle of a green stone while the ring itself was handmade, crafted with an elegant eye to the smallest detail.

"Eliza? Are you awake?"

Hermione's voice startled Eliza and she quickly hid the ring under her pillow, "Yes."

Getting an affirmative response, Hermione rose on her bottom and leaned against the mattress.

"Lavender is infatuated with Ron." She started in a tone that would have made her sound jealous; of course she wasn’t going to admit that.

Luckily, Lavender wasn't in the room while Parvati was sleeping deeply in her bed.

"She is like a headache, it will pass." The green eyed witch comforted her friend, though she wasn't sure if it will pass fast.

Hermione scoffed, "What does she see in him, anyway? He is not very smart, not very perceptive and all he does is eat."

"But he is also loyal and doesn't question the weird. He just goes with what is thrown at him." Eliza continued, staring at the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts that weren’t even remotely close to what they were talking about.

"And he is handsome and funny," Hermione added quietly, snatching a light laugh from Eliza.

"I haven't noticed." She mumbled, leaning on her elbows so she could see the blush in Hermione's cheeks.

"What about you? Zabini fancies you." Hermione changed the subject.

Eliza rolled her eyes and laid back, "He is the last person in my mind."

There was a slight pause before Hermione spoke again, "What about Malfoy?"

Eliza blinked and squeezed the ring under the pillow, "Malfoy has his own issues."

"I'm not blind, Liz. For the past year you two have grown closer. I can see you two glancing at each other during breakfast and dinner." She sounded bemused which only made Eliza’s eyebrow twitch.

"Yes, well I don't think it has anything to do with emotions." She muttered, rolling on her side feeling quite disappointed for some reason. 

* * *

Waking up in the morning, Furvus decided he wanted to have a bit of fun and he dragged something that looked like a plush toy from the common room; it had the W initial on it. Hermione noticed the merchandise immediately but Furvus was holding so tightly onto it that no one could snatch it from him. The cat was smart and placed the toy at the edge of the bed, knowing Eliza was going to walk over it when she will wake.

When Eliza did wake up, Hermione was standing aside, patiently waiting to see what was going to happen. As planned, she walked over the plush toy and it made a moaning sound before it exploded and covered the witch in powder made from love potion.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head bemusedly, “That cat is way too smart.”

* * *

When they got into the Great Hall for breakfast, the boys close enough to smell her started to act absent-mindlessly and overwhelm Eliza with attention. Her eyebrow was twitching for the whole time and so was her hand.

“Don’t look behind you,” Hermione advised her friend but Eliza did and met the dark eyes of Blaise Zabini. “He’s quite far. Do you think he can smell it too?”

At that particular moment, Zabini raised an eyebrow and pointed to his left, where Malfoy was standing, watching his plate with interest.

“No.” Eliza muttered, turning to the table, “He's just making sure I won't get away from the party tonight." Suddenly, Eliza remembered something, "Hermione, what about you? Did you ask anyone to come with you?"

"I have a plan, yes." The bushy haired girl mumbled, glancing around the Great Hall for someone. "What about you?"

"No. He should be jumping with joy that I'm coming in the first place. I'm never going to lie about detention ever again." She said, feeling a chill go down her arms when she mentioned it.

The only lesson that day was Transfiguration and Eliza finished coloring her eyebrows in around ten minutes before she started to change Dean's. During the class, Ron and Hermione bickered again to the point where Hermione ran away close to tears. Harry grabbed her stuff and ran after her while Eliza shook her head in disappointment. 

A few hours later and Eliza ended up following Malfoy once again. She was tailing him up the second floor when she remembered a certain girl' bathroom with a ghost. Eliza glanced at the retreating blond head before she turned back and went into the bathroom.

"Hello?" Eliza asked loudly, expecting the ghost to appear out of nowhere.

“You are back~” The ghost sung, her eyes scanning Eliza from afar.

“I am. It's been a long time. You told me before that Tom always looked after me, remember?” The green eyed witch started, using herself as her mother’s image.

But it wasn’t the same, “Not you; the other one, Ophelia.” The ghost corrected, “You look alike but there's something darker about you.”

“Tom came to Hogwarts, right?”

The ghost raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Yes but not during the same time. Tom was much older than Ophelia." 

Eliza dived straight into the subject she wanted to unveil, “Then, did he meet her before she entered Hogwarts or during Hogwarts?”  
  
The ghost chuckled, “I don’t know. I never saw them together. Ophelia would always come here to discuss Regulus.”

“What about the others?” Eliza urged, taking a step forward.

The ghost clicked her tongue and flew around, stopping right in front of Eliza. Up close, those green eyes were making her feel like she was looking in the eyes of the basilisk.

“You are more alike than her; you have the same dark glint in your eyes as he did.” The dead girl stated watching Eliza very carefully, “Uuu~ so cold~” She shuddered, rubbing her arms even if she wasn’t really feeling anything; she was dead after all.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Eliza’s tone seemed to amuse her.

The ghost chuckled and rose above the toilets, “What do I get if I give you the answers you want?”

“What do you want?” Eliza was ready to give pretty much anything.

“Draco Malfoy.” The ghost mumbled, Eliza having to blink twice, not sure if she heard correctly, “Keep him safe. You can do that.” The ghost continued.

Eliza frowned, “I didn’t know that you two got acquainted so well. Anyway, I can’t keep him safe when he is the one barging into the dark world.”

“ _You can_ ,” She emphasized, flying behind her, “After all, you and Tom share the same blood. Poor Draco, I saw him coming in a few times, so pale and scared. It reminded me of Regulus.”

Eliza looked to the side and urged the ghost to continue, “What do you mean? What about Regulus?”

“She made them promise; even used the Unbreakable Vow.“ The ghost whispered, moving to the side, “She made them promise they will never tell anyone the truth about her heritage.”

“Then how do you know?” Eliza asked warily.

“Because I heard them, of course. Lucius Malfoy was Ophelia’s best friend. I watched them made the unbreakable vow right here; him and Severus.”

That conversation was probably the only one that made sense in the past years and she finally knew where to begin questioning and who could give her real answers.

* * *

The hours sifted incredibly fast and Eliza found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror. The white dress she was wearing was nice and simple and it was surprisingly comfortable. She didn't even know where it came from but it reminded her of the red dress from the Yule Ball. 

The way to Slughorn's office made her feel like she was doing the walk of shame - which wasn't the case but still, it felt so. She pulled the door open and took a deep breath, chanting in her head that she could stay around for an hour and just leave.

“Molley, I wasn’t expecting _you_ to come!” A very gallant Cormac started the conversation, a drink in his hand already.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you either... with Hermione.” Eliza responded, her smile and eyes expressing exactly just what she was actually thinking; it wasn’t good.

“Yes, well. How can you resist me, right?” He noticed food and glanced at Hermione before whispering something to her and leaving for a moment.

Eliza shook her head and let the mask fall in front of her friend, “His charm is making me dizzy.”

Hermione chuckled and playfully hit the green eyed girl, “You didn’t even try looking for a date.”

Eliza shrugged; it wasn’t like she didn’t want to have one it was just far easier to come alone and sneak away.

“Ah, Eliza! I’m so happy you could come this time~” Slughorn noticed her dark long hair and green eyes as soon as she entered.

“I am too. It’s a lovely party, professor.” She was using flattery and it wasn’t even the first time nor it will be the last, “I noticed that you have quite a large range of students here.”

“Of course! I’ll tell you a secret; everyone I invited might get on my special shelf one of these days,” He laughed about that but it only offered Eliza the entry she was looking for.

“I would be the only Molley on the shelf,” She made it sound like a joke but Slughorn’s smile cracked at the mention of that name.

“Well, your mother was never good in my class, was she?” He laughed.

The brunette chuckled and nodded before she took a sip from her own drink, “But she wasn’t the only one now, was she? Some students in here are not gifted in potions or school altogether.”

His smile cracked a bit more, “I recognize some of them just piqued my eye.”

Eliza thought about the ghost and what she said about Tom and Ophelia being in Hogwarts. She looked down at Slughorn and decided to risk it. He had been a teacher for a long time until he retired and Eliza was sure if he met Ophelia then he knew Tom as well.

“Like Tom?” She asked, not giving any surname.  
  
That question broke any trace of happiness on Slughorn’s face, “I guess so. Tom was gifted in potions. But that doesn't have any connection to you of course."

Eliza raised an eyebrow and stared at her professor bemusedly, “Now, we both know that's not true.” She whispered, making the professor drop his glass on the floor. He looked at her with wide and nervous eyes, “We’re both gifted in potions, aren’t we?” Eliza continued, covering up everything she said before.

Slughorn still seemed a bit shaken but he definitely got himself back together after that sentence added at the end, “Of course.”

* * *

“How is the party?” Harry came over and asked Eliza when he didn’t see Hermione anymore.

“Boring. Thankfully, someone is having a bit of fun,”

Harry tilted his head to the side confused until Eliza chuckled and pointed at the curtains. They both saw someone standing there, hiding. Harry laughed and walked to her while Eliza took that chance to get out.

She only made it into the corridor when she noticed blond hair hovering around the corner. Eliza rolled her eyes, ready to go there when she saw the blond getting pushed into the light by Filtch. She walked in the opposite direction and hid behind a stall quickly, sighing heavily when she remembered the ghost.  
  
 _“Keep him safe. You can do that.”_

 _“After all, you and Tom share the same blood.”_  
  
Remembering that bit, she couldn’t help but cringe at the thought. Family was very important and having the same blood as that man wasn’t making her feel any butterflies in her stomach.

Just like any other day, Eliza followed wherever Malfoy was going and saw Flitch getting him to Slughorn's office. She waited a few more minutes until both Malfoy and Snape walked out and entered the closest classroom. 

Eliza got out of her hiding spot and followed them until she just stopped. She was sure that she heard soft breathing behind so she turned around and poked the air. 

"Ow. It's me, Liz." She heard Harry's voice before he pulled her under his cloak.

"Invisibility Cloak? Really? Where did you hide it anyway?" She asked but he covered her mouth and pointed at the classroom. "Right." She muttered and walked with him, eavesdropping to the conversation.

*"... cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled --"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" said Malfoy angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about--don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work--I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "Ah... Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!"

Eliza’s eyes hardened at the mention of that. It was a surprise that Snape would go so far for Draco. But the blond didn't seem thankful at all, he was rather annoyed by Snape.

"So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco--"

"So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" jeered Malfoy.

There was another pause. Then Snape said, "You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."

"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!"

"Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low now that Harry had to push his ear very hard against the keyhole to hear. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco--"

Eliza's eyes widened and she tensed. She looked at Harry and saw him listen without blinking. Was that mission so important that Snape made such a vow?

"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"

"What is your plan?"

"It's none of your business!"

"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you ..."

"I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"

"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes--"

"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!"

"Keep your voice down!" spat Snape, for Malfoy's voice had risen excitedly. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres--"

"What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defense Against the Dark Arts--it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts--"

"It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle--"

"They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!"

"Then why not confide in me, and I can--"

"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"

There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but--"

Harry had barely a second's warning; he heard Malfoy's footsteps on the other side of the door and flung himself out of the way just as it burst open, pulling Eliza with him. Malfoy was striding away down the corridor, past the open door of Slughorn's office, around the distant corner, and out of sight.

Hardly daring to breathe, Harry remained crouched down as Snape emerged slowly from the classroom. His expression unfathomable, he returned to the party.*

"Did you hear that?" He asked only when he was sure no one was in the corridor anymore. "I was right all along and Snape offered to help him."

"I know." Eliza mumbled, feeling the knot in her stomach form again. "I know." She repeated softly, looking down at her hands.


	39. Family

As soon as Eliza got over to Remus' house for holidays, she went straight into her room. Nothing had changed; it looked like Remus was keeping it clean for her. Eliza sat on the bed and sighed. Furvus was already there, making himself comfortable.

The door opened a few hours later and surprisingly enough, it was Tonks. 

"You look tired." Eliza commented, scanning the short woman in one quick look.

"I've had better days." She said as she sat next to Eliza. "You look better, happier." 

"Going to Hogwarts, I couldn't disappoint my friends. I was forced to move on." Eliza responded, a soft smile appearing on her face. 

"Is that all?" 

The brunette raised an eyebrow as she registered what Tonks asked. Was there something else that should've happened? Was there something that she missed on while she was hiding in her room in twelve Grimmauld Place? 

* * *

During dinner, Remus talked only about the business of the rest of the members and the disappearances in both muggle and wizarding worlds. It was an issue that they couldn’t control. No matter how much information they would gather, it was always insufficient.

“What about school?” He turned to her, eyes bright and joyful now that she was acting like herself again.

“School is busy but nothing out of ordinary.” She answered curtly, leaning to the side so she could give Furvus a bit of her pumpkin pie.

“We have information that Voldemort is planning an attack soon,” Remus continued, placing his cup of Butterbeer down, “I’d feel much better if you wouldn’t return to Hogwarts but I know you won’t listen to me.” He admitted.

“You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I know exactly what I have to do.” She said those words with so much assurance and calm that Remus couldn’t help but feel like something happened.

* * *

That night, while lying on her bed, Eliza started to make light forms with her fingertips on the ceiling. Her owl was standing on her desk, staring outside with longing. As her mood was changing according to whatever she was thinking about, the forms ended up messing around.

For some reason, her thoughts would go from Voldemort and Ophelia to Malfoy. Frustratingly enough, her heart would always beat faster at the thought of Draco.

"Stop it. It's only fear and pity, Liz. Fear and pity." She whispered to herself. 

But Snape was involved as well and Eliza learned in the past years that he was the key to all these mysteries surrounding Ophelia and her family. Besides, there was also Voldemort and the way he would visit her mind during certain nights. 

Just in time, Remus entered the room with Furvus proudly strutting in behind as if he was a prince entering his castle. The cat hissed at the owl, the bird having no reaction at all, and jumped on the bed, curling as possibly close as he could to his master.

“Liz, can we talk for a moment?”

"Is this about you having to go to guard Harry? Because he told me before we left Hogwarts and Ron invited me over too."

Remus sighed and sat on the bed. The cat got up and turned to stare up at the werewolf man with bright green eyes. Lupin chuckled and patted his head, making the cat purr happily.

“He’s really grateful to you for buying him."She started softly, watching the interaction between the two.

Remus chuckled and looked at his goddaughter, “I didn’t have a choice. He literally got attached to me and he wouldn’t let go no matter how much I tried.”

“Sometimes I wonder if he isn’t actually an animagus.” The witch started, the cat glancing at his master from the corner of his eye.

That was unlikely but Furvus was definitely smart and sly, having his own desires and doing absolutely anything just to gain whatever he wanted. He was also very patient and wouldn’t dare hurt her. Furvus was suspiciously loyal and careful to his surroundings, as well.

“Liz, is there something I should know? People don’t suddenly forget how much they suffered and get over it so easily.” His tone changed, showing just how worried he was even if he was equally happy that she was speaking and living normally again.

“I didn’t forget and I definitely didn’t get over it. If anything, it hurts more with every passing day when I realize that my father won’t welcome me home for Christmas and won’t nag me about my lack of skills in charms,” Her green eyes lowered to her hands and her whole face darkened at the memory.

Truthfully, she’s been so busy running around and asking for answers that she pushed her pain in the very back of her mind and locked her feelings away.

“Is there a boy involved into this change?” He asked, one eyebrow raised; even Furvus perked his ears.

Eliza’s eyes snapped to her godfather and she scoffed, “Just because you found someone doesn’t mean I did too. I do see the way you look at her, Remus. I'm not too young for this type of conversation.”

They stared at each other for a few moments. Remus was looking for any kind of insecurity on her expressive face but there was none and in the end, Remus sighed in relief.

“Fine. But I don't need another person to worry about.”

If only he knew what she knew, it would make him dead worried and he would probably lock her somewhere.

Silence fell in between them once again so she quickly changed the subject, “Have you found out what is Voldemort’s hideout?”

“We are sure the central hideout is or will be the Malfoy Manor. Lucius Malfoy has been a proactive follower of Voldemort ever since the beginning and Bellatrix Lestrange lives with them for the time being.”

So those were the arrangements: Bellatrix was living with Malfoy and that was probably how Snape ended up with no choice but to protect Draco. On the other side, she also promised the ghost that in exchange for information, she would keep an eye out for the blond. It was still a mystery as to how exactly Eliza was able to protect someone when both of them could get killed by the same person.

“What are you thinking about?” Remus broke her line of thoughts.

“It doesn’t seem like Malfoy has any power, no matter how high on the pedestrian he places himself. Voldemort can kill him and his family with one lift of his hand and no one would mourn.” She said coldly.

“I don’t care,” The man responded sincerely, “If Malfoy dies, he does it with his own hand and I’m not going to feel any kind of remorse for him or his family.”

Eliza licked her lips and tensed; only the image of Draco dying was horrible and she had to shake it quickly from her mind. Besides, Malfoy was the one who had the answers she was looking for; he was Ophelia’s best friend so there had to be something different about him.

“He’s a coward,” She trailed, remembering just how scared Draco’s been for the past months, “Cowards never die; just like Pettigrew.”

* * *

Christmas came around and just as they planned, Mrs. Weasley had two more guests. Eliza's eyes widened at the decorations and food and she couldn't help feel like it might have been a good idea to tag along.

At the sight of Fred and George, Eliza frowned and became very wary of everything around her.

“Are you still mad about the powder of love?” George appeared next to her, taking the seat on her right while his twin took the seat on the left, “We didn’t do it.”

“It just appeared in my room and exploded on its own, right?” She asked sarcastically, her frown changing into a scowl. “It was the powder of obsession not love. It faded fast, thankfully.” She grumbled.

The twins frowned and leaned back before glancing at each other, “We should fix that.” They said at the same time and jumped on their feet, running somewhere.

Eliza rolled her eyes and kept close to Ginny. The radio was turned on and the voice of Mrs. Weasley's favorite singer was ringing through the air. 

_Oh, come and stir my cauldron,_

_And if you do it right_

_I'll boil you up some hot, strong love_

_To keep you warm tonight._

Eliza bit her lip and felt those words slip under her skin. Draco's face flashed in front of her eyes and she jumped when she realized what just happened. Her eyes widened and quickly surveyed the place in case someone saw her act so strange. Everyone was busy, especially Ron who was watching his older brother Bill and Fleur like he was ready to take notes.

The first thing Ginny told Eliza when she arrived was that she should be careful to the Phlegm and the brunette was confused. Of course, it made sense later on when she saw Fleur. It was even more interesting to meet Bill Weasley who looked nothing like the rest.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Harry talking to Mr. Weasley. She tensed when she heard him tell Mr. Weasley everything they heard that night in the classroom. Her eyes moved on Lupin, who was listening carefully to every word, even the part where Eliza was there as well. 

Remus turned towards her with a strict face and Eliza looked down at her hands. The discussion continued and Lupin was visibly growing very tense. 

Harry looked Lupin straight in the eye at some point.  
  
*"--do you honestly like Snape?"  
  
"I neither like nor dislike Severus," said Lupin. "No, Harry, I am speaking the truth," he added, as Harry pulled a skeptical expression. "We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps; after all that happened between James and Sirius and Severus, there is too much bitterness there. But I do not forget that during the year I taught at Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfsbane Potion for me every month, made it perfectly, so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at the full moon."*

Hearing Remus express his opinion on Snape, Eliza remembered her mother's escape from Voldemort. 

_"Severus, they know. They know I've been hiding with you for the past 7 months." She sounded so calm that even Eliza -as Ophelia- was surprised._

He kept her hidden for seven months and became her Secret Keeper. But Snape was one sly wizard so was he really trustworthy? 

Eliza listened in to Harry and Lupin's discussion and heard her godfather tell Harry about Fenrir Greyback. She knew the story, he told it to her only once before when her smell got imprinted into his memory. 

* * *

Next morning, Eliza woke up stuffed between Ginny and Fleur and from the looks of it, she ended up right in between the two when she was sure she went to bed last and the one in the middle was Fleur. 

Christmas was nicer with more people and Eliza couldn't help but miss her father. Every present was nice and helpful and Remus took care to give her muggle sports equipment. 

"So what's this for?" Ron asked, grabbing a bat. "Is it like the ones against Bludgers?"

"No. It's for baseball. You do hit a ball but under different rules." She explained just like Dean explained it to her. Eliza avoided saying that name around Harry after she realized he fancied Ginny. 

"Blimey, you do need some anger management lessons." Ron mumbled, looking wary of the bat.

Eliza chuckled and swayed it around Ron, almost hitting him in the head twice. Remus walked in and gave a pointed look.

"I'd like if you could put that aside before cracking someone's skull first thing in the morning." Lupin said in the same manner Mr. Weasley would tell Fred and George to take their stuff from the floor. 

Harry smiled when he saw the relationship between them and couldn't help feel a tinge of jealousy. He could have had that with Sirius. Of course, he remembered Sirius was Eliza's real father and Remus could never take his place but she still had Remus while Harry had a family that he wouldn't like to return to soon. 

On the same morning, the Minister Rufus Scrimgeour paid a visit to the Weasleys, accompanied by none other than Percy. Remus made a sign to Eliza to get inside and not appear in front of the Minister. Eliza almost forgot that she was born under utter secrecy in a house that was enchanted. No one knew of her existence except the people around her and the Ministry couldn't trace her if she was using magic. 

After Christmas, Mrs. Weasley tried to keep Eliza in The Burrow, explaining how nice it would be to have another girl in the house. Eliza was sure it was more because Mrs. Weasley didn't like Fleur and wanted to nag how she would've liked Tonks to marry Bill instead. Fleur didn't like Tonks at all and it was probably because of the same reason.

“You have already done more than enough. Thank you for the invitation,” Eliza knew when to smile and charm her way out of situations. That was definitely inherited from Sirius.

That was how Eliza spent the rest of the break in her room, looking through her old stuff. She found an old photograph of her mother and smiled. Ophelia was a beautiful woman, especially when she was smiling and Eliza knew that was what attracted Sirius to her. 

* * *

When time came to return to Hogwarts, Eliza Apparated in Hogsmeade and walked by foot to the castle. When she got there, she noticed blond hair walking up the stairs once again. Eliza bit her lip and tried to shrug it off but it was impossible. With one look at the way to the Gryffindor Tower, she turned and followed Malfoy.

He knew she was there and didn't avoid her anymore. He was at the top of the stairs and waited for her in front of an empty wall.

"Who's the one drawing attention now, Black?" He asked, though he didn't sound annoyed.

"I'm not the one who crashed a party, am I?"

Malfoy looked at her closely, his hand twitching when he realized she knew. It was all over her face actually. 

“Run away before they come, Eliza. You won’t be able to escape afterwards.” He softened his tone by only a bit but his eyes were sincere; those blue eyes were honest for a moment.

“When will they come?” She whispered before leaning in.

Malfoy sighed and rubbed his head in frustration.  
  
“Sooner than you think.” He mumbled, already shuddering at the thought.

“Let them come. My blood won’t be spilled in vain, Draco. Your father knows that the best.”

* * *

They decided to walk back together, at least until the crowded corridors; it was dangerous walking next to the person that your house hates the most.

“Snape is risking a lot for you. You should be grateful.” She started after half of the way in silence.

Malfoy scoffed, “Why should I? It wasn’t my choice and I don’t need him to look over my shoulder; it’s my task to complete not his.”

Eliza nodded and connected her arms behind her back, walking in a manner that was reminding of her father, “This task must be of great importance if Voldemort chose you to complete.”

It was obvious for anyone with half a brain that she was taking him for a fool and her words were meant to insult him as a wizard. Strangely enough he wasn’t as pissed about that as he was of her friendship with Zabini. Actually, that begun during last year. His father told him not to involve Eliza in their recent affairs and there was the Dark Lord himself who warned him not to look at her twice which sounded a lot like a back off.

“I deserve this,” He sounded very sure of what he was saying, like he was trying to prove himself he was on the same level as the others. Suddenly, he remembered something and stopped her. "You shouldn't hang around Potter anymore. Aunt Bellatrix is-"

"Do not even mention that name." Eliza said in an icy cold tone.  
  
“You should have left when it begun. Bellatrix was delighted to tell every detail about what happened in the Ministry.” He continued while leaning closer.

She laid her head back against the wall and stared at him bemusedly, “Who is the fool now, Draco?”

He tensed when she grabbed his left hand and turned it so she could see his forearm. She only caught a small glimpse but there it was: the Dark Mark.

“You should have ran when the opportunity arose but now you are his propriety. Once he's done with you, he will easily throw you aside like nothing."

The blond took a step back and narrowed his eyes at her.

“You remain loyal to your family Draco and I will remain loyal to mine." She continued, her eyes scrunching lightly making her look like a snake.   
  
"You are part of my family." Draco muttered, making her freeze for a moment.   
  
"No, I'm not. Family makes you happy not curses you for your entire life." Eliza said, remembering her father and everything he did just to keep her away from the Black family.

As soon as they walked in the corridor, she hurried to the Gryffindor tower while Draco returned to make sure everything was going to work accordingly.


	40. Feelings

Unfortunately, Ronald was still in a very peculiar relationship with Lavender thus forcing Hermione to retreat whenever they were going all mushy.  
  
“Do you think we should interfere?” Harry asked her the next afternoon, watching from afar.

Eliza raised an eyebrow and tried to find the right word for the sight but it was difficult to express that mess in words.

“I think it’s complicated enough as it is. If we interfere it might end up with them not recognizing their feelings to each other.” She reasoned before turning to him, “What about you and Ginny?”

Harry nodded before he registered what she asked, moment when his eyes widened and his head turned towards his friend, “It became so obvious? Did I say something that-”

Both wizards glanced at Ginny who was standing with Hermione, her eyes averting when she noticed them looking at her.

"You know, Dean told me yesterday that they had a fight. I'm not sure why but it seems like the stars are on your side." Eliza said in a mocking voice of Trelawney.

Harry chuckled and nodded, "I believe that as long as you don't say I will drown afterwards." 

"Oh but I'm not sure. That would take all the fun from it." She joked, making Harry snort while containing his laughter.    
  
“The problem with Hermione is that she wouldn't admit her feelings and Ron is just...Ron." Eliza explained, like she was a grown up that has already been through so many love affairs. 

The truth was that love was still a fairly new emotion, especially the passionate one. She wasn’t sure she wanted to try it after all the heartbreaks and misunderstandings she had seen. 

“Anyway,have you told _everyone_ what we heard that night?"Eliza changed the subject. 

Harry sighed and grabbed a hand through his messy dark hair, “Yes, I did. And I will tell Dumbledore tonight at our private lesson. You can't deny what you heard, Liz. We both know Malfoy's been acting strange ever since the year begun."

"Yes, I know. I've been following him around." 

For a moment, Harry looked stunned. 

"Why didn't you say something?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes and at the same time trying not to draw attention to their discussion.

"Because I'm not sure what he's doing. I didn't really see him do anything, as a matter of fact. And Snape-"

" **Do not** repeat what everyone already told me. You know better than anyone just how sly he is." Harry interrupted, "I can't trust Snape."

Eliza bit her lip, thinking how to express herself, "That's the thing, Harry. I trust Snape."

Eliza was sure that if Harry could, he'd make her explode before exploding himself with how red his face became. 

"It's not because he taught me Defense against the Dark Arts. I don't think Snape would still be around if Dumbledore wasn't sure that he's not a Death Eater." Somehow she ended up saying pretty much the same thing everyone else did.

That was the end of the conversation and Harry looked more disappointed than angry.  

* * *

As soon as she entered the common room, she noticed a few girls whispering to each other in front of the window while Dean and Seamus were playing some kind of miniature Quidditch game.

"Hey, Liz! Did you sign up for the Apparition lessons?" Seamus asked, his eyes focused on the game.

Eliza stared at him in confusion before shaking her head. 

"It's been on the noticeboard ever since the term started. Do you really not look at the board for any news?" He continued before clicking his tongue as Dean was taking lead.

"No." She responded bluntly. Eliza never even glimpsed at the notice board before and had Seamus or Hermione tell her if something new was up. 

"Well you better hurry. The list was pretty long last time I checked." 

Eliza blinked sheepishly and nodded before she went into the dormitory. She found Hermione there, alone, and she looked very disgruntled. 

"Ron again?" Eliza asked, passing the bushy haired girl to her bed. 

"Harry has a lesson tonight with Dumbledore." She changed the subject.

Eliza chuckled, her back turned so Hermione wouldn't notice, "Yes, he told me. I'm not sure he will be willing to share the news with me tomorrow."

"Why?" 

Eliza clicked her tongue and laid back lazily, "I might have told him my honest opinion. The one that I trust Snape." 

"Well, Dumbledore trusts him and-" 

"No, Hermione." Eliza said before she sat up and looked at her friend. "I don't care if Dumbledore trusts him or not. I don't care if anyone does, really. I trust him because mom trusted him." 

Hermione didn't press that subject; she knew how hard was for Eliza to speak about her parents, especially after Sirius died. 

* * *

Luckily, Harry did share the information with Eliza during a break. For some reason he wanted to speak to her alone and she realized why later on. Hermione and Ron were still fighting and the presence of Dean around Eliza was annoying Harry.

"So he wants you to find out what the memory is actually about? Doesn't that mean Slughorn answered Tom?" Eliza said, playing with Furvus while trying to catch a glimpse of Malfoy in the Hall. 

"Yes. Tom asked Slughorn about horcruxes. However, the memory has been tempered with, or so Dumbledore believes." 

Eliza licked her lips and nodded, "So, what about this Gaunt family? They were descendants of Slytherin?" 

Harry sighed desperately, "Yes. Voldemort killed his father and grandparents and blamed Morfin Gaunt for it. He was very happy to confess his crime." 

"I have to say I was a bit surprised when you first told me that Tom is Voldemort. But I guess I should have imagined. Now, this Gaunt family appears again." 

Harry was surprised, "Again?"

"Yes. I was searching for something when I found two articles, very old and seemingly unimportant. One was about Morfin Gaunt getting into Azkaban for killing the Riddles. The second one...it was noted a few months afterwards. A woman dropped dead in the square and they found a muggle responsible. That woman was pregnant and they all imagined that the child probably died as well." Eliza explained, frowning now that she got to say it out-loud.

"Morfin didn't mention anyone, especially not a woman. You think Voldemort killed her too? But why?" 

"I don't know. Maybe it wasn't Tom-"

 _"Voldemort."_ Harry emphasized.

"-but I believe she was stunned not dead. There was the testimony from the muggle who got arrested for it and he said she looked at him in the eye before she just fell. I don't think she was looking at him though. Maybe someone else was there." 

"Well, I don't see how that matters now. You shouldn't bother with it." Harry mumbled, feeling like he was the only one who was taking everything seriously.

But Eliza was taking it very seriously. She didn't know why but that woman's death just pestered her. She was aware that Voldemort was just a teenager back then, moreover a student under Dumbledore's watchful eye. So why? 

That problem bothered Eliza for the rest of the week and by the time the first Apparition lesson came up, she had hundreds of scenarios made in her head.

"So you signed up, in the end?" Seamus asked on the way to the Great Hall.

Eliza nodded and smiled, hiding the fact that she already knew how to Apparate. 

* * *

The first lesson was horrible. Eliza waited for the teacher to explain and for the students to perform, all the while watching from the very back. Snape glanced at her once or twice and she was more than sure he knew. 

As soon as the lesson finished, Harry grabbed Eliza aside and told her what he heard between Malfoy and Crabbe. His paranoia was growing each passing day and Malfoy wasn't good at hiding things.

"I know you believe me. You followed him this whole year and really haven't found anything?" He whispered.

"He vanishes. I don't know where he goes and I'm sure he doesn't Disapparate. His performance in the lesson was more than disappointing." Eliza answered bluntly. 

Harry agreed but didn't shrug it off. For the next weeks, he started to look after Malfoy wherever he'd go but unlike Eliza, he was using the Marauder's Map. 

Getting that bit of information, she stopped following Malfoy and stopped lingering in the dungeons. That proved to be in her benefit because she had a lot of homework to finish and there was still that case about the nameless woman. Finding no clue whatsoever in any book or old document, Eliza went to ask someone who had been with Tom in Hogwarts.

"You don't know anything about him? You two were in the same school, it was hard to not notice." Eliza urged but it didn't look like the ghost -Myrtle, as Eliza found out was her name- knew anything.

"I can only tell you what I saw. I never saw Tom and Ophelia. I only saw her with the Slytherins." She said, mopping around since she was lonely.

"But you said that me and Tom are made from the same blood. I don't think we are alike at all." 

"I never said anything about that~" She moaned, flying right in front of Eliza. "I said you _share_ the same blood." 

"But that would mean relatives right?" Eliza was more confused and terrified than ever before. "Relatives?" She repeated but the ghost shrugged.

"I don't know." 

Myrtle clearly wasn't telling Eliza anything and Eliza figured Dumbledore might have interfered. 

_"What do you know?"_

"You have to be kept away from him. What if he finds out where you have been hiding? What if he finds out you betrayed him?" Myrtle mumbled softly, her face too close for comfort. 

"What?" 

But Myrtle only chuckled and flied away, doing some flips before going straight into the toilet.

* * *

Having no ghost to tip her off, Eliza decided she should just concentrate on school for the moment. Of course, searching for Malfoy around the Hall became a reflex and she could hardly hide it anymore from Harry. 

"I've been keeping an eye out for him and you're right. There are times he just vanishes from the Map." He whispered while they were going to Potions. 

"Then you should just drop it. As long as we can't see whatever it is that he does, it's hopeless." 

But he didn't. Harry continued following Malfoy, growing quite obsessed with him. It was everything he'd talk about whenever he could and he'd ask her if she saw anything strange about the blond lately. 

Thankfully, the new Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor was just a few days away and Harry got busier. Another event that was coming up was Ron's birthday and Eliza asked Furvus to get something for her from Hogsmeade. 

"What's that?" Hermione asked, confused what was wrapped in bright pink paper. 

"Ron's birthday present." 

"Which is what?" Hermione asked. 

Eliza chuckled to herself and shrugged, "Nothing much. A device that shows you what you're thinking about. Something he'll find useful" 

Hermione frowned, "How will seeing what he's thinking useful? He only thinks about food and Quidditch." 

The brunette smirked, a sight Hermione found suspicious, and shrugged. 

When she gave the present to Ron, he was just as confused as Hermione. Their Apparition lessons were getting harder and everyone was getting splinched. Ron hoped Eliza would give him something for that not something that looked like it belonged in Trelawney's office. 

Eliza left the common room afterwards. Furvus was strutting behind her, looking ahead with his head held high. She could feel him following her until she rounded the corner towards the library. Furvus suddenly stopped and followed someone else. 

"Hey, come back!" She hissed but Furvus wasn't listening. 

In the end, she became the follower. Furvus led her up the stairs until they got on the seventh floor, in front of a large empty wall. The black kitten placed one paw on the wall and meowed. 

Eliza raised an eyebrow and thoroughly searched the floor. There was nothing.

"Let's go back, Furvus. No one is here." 

But Furvus hissed and touched the wall with both his front paws. He looked up at her once again and meowed. Eliza sighed and touched the wall as well. It was warm and cold at the same time. For some reason, she put her ear on it and listened. She couldn't hear anything but something was definitely strange about that wall.

* * *

Apparition lessons were getting harder and she had to Apparate once just to amuse the professor. She heard Snape click his tongue behind but chose to ignore him. The test was only for students who'd be of age which meant Eliza couldn't take it because her birthday was in June. 

When Eliza got in the common room later that afternoon, Harry was just walking out with Ron. 

"What happened to him?" She asked when they passed her.

"I'll tell you later. Now I have to get Ron to professor Slughorn." Harry said quickly before rushing out.

They didn't return and Lavender was in a cranky mood. She's been talking about how Ron just walked past her and even mentioned Romilda Vane. Eliza's head was aching and she was tempted to use a jinx just to shut Lavender up. 

"Liz! It's-" Hermione stopped when she saw Lavender. 

Eliza took that as a sign to move and grabbed Hermione before dragging her into the corridor.

"It's Ron. Ginny just told me Ron has been poisoned!" 

Eliza was pulled towards the Hospital Wing before she could mutter a response. Harry was already there and he looked relieved. He told them everything and Eliza was surprised to hear Slughorn had a poisoned beverage.

"And he said he wanted to give it as a present to Dumbledore?" Eliza asked once again, just to be sure she heard right.

Harry nodded, "Yes. It's suspicious how the cursed necklace was supposed to be delivered to someone too."

"But whoever sent these objects isn't very smart, is he? Neither objects were delivered to their destination." Hermione added.

Ron was indeed fine. Fred and George came right after their parents and Harry, Eliza and Hermione retreated for the night. The next morning everyone knew about the poisoning but more people were bothered by the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. 

The brunette was walking out of the Great Hall when she heard Lavender shouting after her. Eliza's eyes widened and she searched for an escape. Luckily, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her aside. 

"Need saving, Black?" He whispered.

"I need something to stuff in my ears when she starts talking. It's annoying already." She mumbled before turning to see her savior.

Draco Malfoy looked horrible. His skin was so pale that it looked like he's been locked in a dark room for most of the year. His eyes were swollen and he looked tired. 

"I didn't poison the drink, if you are curious to know." He stated, knowing she'll ask.

"Have you cried recently?" She asked, taking him aback. 

Malfoy looked down before he sighed and leaned against the wall in what he wanted to look like a cool pose. 

"You look like you've had a terrible disease and have been locked in St Mungo's for the weekend. Very, very bad." Eliza said, just as blunt as usual.

"Well I haven't. I'm fine." Even his voice was hoarse. 

"It's the mission isn't it? You're using the Room of Requirement to hide and plan it." Eliza was stating facts and Draco was smart enough not to deny it.

"Glad to see you acting like yourself. Enjoy it for a bit longer." He mumbled before he pushed her back into the crowded corridor.

Walking back to the common room, she couldn't help but think of what he said last. _Enjoy it for a bit longer._ Was that a threat or an advice? Besides, his whole behavior was peculiar. The mission wasn't going well and Eliza heard that already but what exactly was the mission? 

"Ugh." She groaned, feeling like she was being kept in the dark by more than just Draco Malfoy. 

* * *

The Quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor was a joke and not because of the match and result but by the Gryffindor Keeper, McLaggen. He literally hit a Bludger at Harry.

Hermione ran to his side while Eliza glared at Cormac.

"What the heck was that? Are you aware you're not going to make the team for the rest of your pathetic years at Hogwarts?" Eliza hissed as soon as she got him in the castle.

"He wasn't listening to what I was saying! If only-"

"Harry is the Captain. Last time I checked you were only a one time player." She said that with so much hatred that Cormac pushed her lightly. 

"Take care what you say, Molley. You're just a half blood girl." He threatened.

Eliza raised an eyebrow, ready to show him just how half blood she was but someone interfered.

"I'd like a word, if I am not interrupting something of utter importance." Snape's voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

Eliza glared at Cormac before she followed Snape. 

"Snape's pet, aren't you Molley?" Cormac whispered when she walked past him.

In the next second he found himself with the ugliest stomach ache Eliza could master. Cormac ran away, to the bathroom probably, while Eliza followed Snape silently. 

The dungeons never looked so inviting before and Eliza had a lot of questions for Snape. Interestingly enough, he had a few things to tell her too.

"What do you mean I shouldn't show my face around? Are you talking about Malfoy?" She hissed, walking closer to his desk. "And what about that Unbreakable Vow you made with Mrs. Malfoy?" 

For a moment she swore she saw him surprised but changed quickly in hatred. He probably hated her more than ever before.

"I don't know what you're talking about. If you could refrain from accusing me of-" 

"I think I won't refrain anymore. I know for a fact that you are no stranger to Unbreakable Vows. You did several with mom, didn't you?" 

It looked like Snape was seizing her and his options because he didn't say a word for the next few minutes. 

"Are you going to tell me that's a lie too? You were my mother's friend. You vowed to protect her." 

Snape scoffed, "I vowed to protect her secrets." 

Eliza sighed and rubbed her forehead, "Then tell me something. Why did my mother call Voldemort Tom? Why did he lock her away when he found out she was pregnant and why were you the first person she ran off to? What made you so special that she'd make you her Secret Keeper?" 

"That doesn't concern you." He responded with a poker face. If she didn't know better, Snape was avoiding that subject like Ron was avoiding his feelings.

"Fine. Then tell me why is Voldemort showing me all these memories from all sorts of views?" She asked, knowing that definitely involved her.

He blinked owlishly but didn't say a word. Eliza grunted and rubbed her eyes, feeling like the faint throb in the back of her head will only increase with how annoyed she was. 

"Fine. You made several Unbreakable Vows and you treasure your life. I will ask you differently. You were friends with my mother. Is that true?” She continued, that question already having a clear answer.

Snape sneered but answered anyway, "Yes."

She took a deep breath of air before she continued, “Does my mother have any connection with the witch that died several years ago, murdered by a muggle?”

Now, that question was tricky. She saw him narrow his eyes at her, thinking. In the end, he gave her the response she was looking for, "Yes."

“Are Ophelia and Tom Riddle part of the same family?” She started, the professor tensing visibly under her stare. 

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. She was aware that he promised her mother not to divulge her heritage and agreeing or denying their family connection was exactly that.

Eliza raised an eyebrow and chuckled, grabbing her ring and playing with it while pacing around, “I shouldn’t be surprised that you do not have an answer to this question. Let me rephrase it. Did my mother have any connection to Tom Riddle?"  
  
"She did and she wasn't the only one." 

That response was vague but Eliza was already halfway to the truth.

"Now that you finished this petty game, I'd recommend you to stop following Potter in his endeavors and leave Draco alone. He does not need your interfering."

"I heard Dumbledore is quite mad with you." She suddenly said, making Snape throw her a vicious look. "You tell me to stop interfering but that's exactly what you want to do. You offered assistance and Draco denied it. Now, it seems like whatever your role is in the Order is not enough. Are you losing your calm, _professor_?"

Snape tensed. She touched a very sensible subject without knowing the details and she was doing the opposite of what he advised her to. That was enough for Snape to throw her out. 

However, going back to the common room, Eliza felt a sense of achievement. Maybe he didn't give her clear answers but she was smart enough to read between the lines. Unfortunately, she was almost sure her mother and Voldemort were somehow connected through blood and if that was true, Eliza hoped it was through a very, very distant family bond.


	41. Truth

A few days later and Eliza was having nightmares again. She was thinking so much about the gaps in her information that she ended up searching for clues in her mother's diary. Except notes for every subject and her own ability to use magic without a wand, Ophelia only wrote about stuff regarding her days in Hogwarts. There were gaps in dates, writing nothing during the holidays and summer break. If anything, that diary was just for Hogwarts and most of the notes weren't even written by her but this close friend that helped her through difficult times. 

She found one detail during Ophelia's seventh year at Hogwarts. It seemed she had the same excerpt about Morfin Gaunt from the Daily Prophet. She scratched something under it that looked like a serpent and Eliza knew it was Slytherin's. 

"So you're mother found out Morfin Gaunt was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin?"

Eliza nodded. She told them the news first thing in the morning after she found out. 

"And why was that so important for her?" Harry asked, he too having something he wanted to share with the rest.

"I think mom was searching for her family. She was raised in the orphanage and all she knew was that her mother died when she gave birth to her. Now, do you remember the article I told you about? The one about the woman who was murdered in the street? I think that was Ophelia's mother."

"But that's impossible. Didn't you say she died before she gave birth?" Hermione asked, keeping her voice low so Seamus and Neville wouldn't hear from across them.

"No. I said it before, she was stunned. The baby got extracted from her and that's when she died. Morfin Gaunt was sentenced during the same year and I think there's a connection between these two." 

"But even so, who would do that? It's savage!" Ron exclaimed, feeling much better now that he was out of the hospital. 

"Tom. I may be stretching it a bit but you said he disappeared for a long time. What if he did it?" Eliza asked, her eyes widening at the words rushing out her mouth. 

"That's unlikely. Voldemort was a young man, working for Borgin and Burkes back then. I don't think it adds up to your mother's age." Hermione said softly, looking at her friend with sympathy. 

Eliza bit her lip and looked down at her plate in disappointment. That was right. Her mother was born in 1959 and if she were to be born when the woman died, she had to be born in 1906. That was too early. 

* * *

During Charms, Harry sat with his two best friends while Eliza decided she wanted to think about her problems alone. She knew one of them will tell her if there was something new. Concentrating was another difficult task and control was sifting through her fingers, literally. She turned the vinegar into oil instead of wine and splashed it all over Dean, who was already sulky as it was. Seamus laughed and patted Eliza fondly.

On the way back to the common room, Harry was lost in his own thoughts while Hermione and Ron filled her in. Besides the whole Horcrux business, everyone looked really happy. Eliza knew Ron and Lavender split up, she could hear Lavender crying last night while Hermione was sleeping peacefully. Also, Seamus informed Eliza after her mishap in Charms that Ginny and Dean split up as well.

For the rest of the time, nothing important happened. Classes were going on nicely and Eliza was hanging more and more with Hermione, searching for clues that would point out any detail about Ophelia's life. She couldn't find anything and the witch murdered by a muggle was making less and less sense. 

May came around and everyone was excited for the upcoming match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Harry was hanging around Ginny a lot and she couldn't help pity him. Ron was oblivious to the sparkles between his sister and his best friend and Eliza was sure Harry was having an internal struggle every time he'd look at Ron. 

"I wonder when he will admit he likes Ginny." Hermione started when they were doing their essays for Defense against the Dark Arts.

"What about you?" Eliza asked casually.

Hermione blushed, "Wh-what about me?" 

"You were suspiciously happy when he and Lavender finished it. Maybe just as happy as Harry was when he found out Ginny was single." The brunette continued in the same tone.

"I-I don't know what you mean. It's not like I like him or something." Hermione hissed, blushing even more. "Anyway, what about you and Malfoy? I saw him look after you this past month." 

Eliza placed her quill down and looked at Hermione dead serious, "He's only making sure I'm not following him." 

Silence fell over them for a few minutes until Hermione asked something that messed Eliza's list of priorities. 

"Maybe he just wants to keep you safe. I think he genuinely likes you." 

"What makes you say that? A few glances here and there? The fact that we're on speaking terms?" 

Hermione bit her tongue in order to suppress the need to go all smart ass on her friend. Eliza was a blunt person to the point she could be savagely sincere. Hermione didn't want to hear Eliza's honest opinion on anything for now. 

* * *

From the library, Eliza went around searching for Furvus. He disappeared a week ago and Eliza was curious if she went to Remus' aid or he was messing around the castle. 

She ended up on the sixth floor that afternoon and noticed a ball of black fur running towards the boys' bathroom. Right when she wanted to turn the corner after him, Snape came out holding a very ragged Draco. 

Snape didn't even glance at her, already having a student he was annoyed with for the moment. He didn't need two worries at the same time yet there they were, one trying to face his fear and one searching for death.

"Are you going to help him?" She asked in a softer tone. Draco was already half healed but he needed rest; both physical and mental rest.

Snape got up and looked at her with a blank expression, "You will."

She didn't know what he meant at first but realized soon enough that he was genuinely worried for Draco and wanted her to stay by his side until he was going to wake up. 

As soon as they entered the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey smiled kindly and gestured to Snape to place the blond on the bed in front of the window. The dark wizard nodded at Pomfrey and left without looking back once. Snape let her there and she was such a stranger to comfort and kind behavior that she almost ran away. 

"Dear," Madame Pomfrey started, "It helps if you hold his hand; he needs to feel that you are here."

For some reason, that didn't sound like she was speaking in general. In the end, Eliza sat next to Draco and held his hand tightly, feeling a chill down her spine at the thought the blond could die.

* * *

Standing there for half an hour already, Eliza noticed little things about Draco that brightened his image in her mind; for example, he was making funny sounds according to what he was dreaming but he would always recover quickly and look more peaceful than she has ever seen him. His blond hair was messy and compared to before, his body was weaker and the color in his cheeks was fading away because of stress.

While scanning him, she noticed that his sleeves have been slightly pulled up, showing bits of his Dark Mark to the whole world; maybe Slytherins would applaud and congratulate but the rest of the castle wouldn't. The witch glanced at Pomfrey before she leaned over and pulled his sleeve over the mark, hiding his secret.

"What are you doing?" He barely whispered his eyes still half closed yet he could see her leaning over him.

She licked her lips and sat back, crossing one leg over the other elegantly, "Keeping your secret."

He needed a moment to remember what happened before he realized someone was holding onto his hand; even more of a surprise was how innocent she looked standing there.

"You should leave," He mumbled as he struggled to get up, "I don't need your help."

She raised an eyebrow and helped him by positioning his pillow behind so he could lean against it comfortably.  
  
"Good, because I didn't help you in any way. How did you even get hurt?"

He glared at her, "He almost killed me," He hissed but she didn't seem surprised, "That is your so-called hero, Black. Go and congratulate him. Your dear Harry Potter."

"How did that happen? Harry doesn't know strong Dark Magic. He's been-" Eliza stopped when she remembered the Half Blood Prince.  
  
Harry was obsessed with Malfoy and would easily get riled up if the occasion arose. Eliza leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You've been following me for the whole year." He started after a few minutes of silence.

"I didn't know you spent so much time in the bathroom talking to a ghost," She tried to enlighten the mood but Draco's shoulders tensed when she mentioned the ghost.

"What did she tell you?" He asked fidgeting.

Her gaze moved from his face down to his mark before she sighed heavily, "Nothing about you; the subject had nothing to do with you."

"Then maybe my father?"

Her eyes widened and looked aside for a moment, enough to think, "My mother and your father used to be good friends when they were in school. I don't know what your aunt told you but my mother was a loyal pure blood." 

She thought it was better to tell him that bit of information in case Bellatrix spread lies about Ophelia.

"So that's it? Those are the answers you were searching for so passionately?" His tone and mood changed really fast and he got his sarcastic, pratty attitude back.

"Well, you're feeling better so I should leave before your Slytherin friends find out you're in hospital." She muttered, feeling his gaze over her harden; he could probably tell she was lying, not that it mattered anyway.

Draco scowled but let her leave. He still had a task to complete and didn't need any distractions but no matter how much he was avoiding the thought, it just felt warm having her next to him. 

* * *

By the next morning everyone knew what happened and during breakfast, Eliza witnessed the most amusing sight she had the pleasure to see: Ginny and Hermione arguing. 

Sensing that she should question some aspects of what happened between Harry and Malfoy, she turned her whole attention on her day dreaming friend. 

"Where is the book now?" She whispered.

"I hid it in the Room of Requirement. Look, I know you have a soft spot for Malfoy but-" 

Eliza felt her cheeks redden lightly,"I don't have a soft spot for Malfoy."She hissed.

"-I didn't mean to hurt him. I just reacted without thinking too much. He was going to use the Cruciatus Curse and-" 

"What spell did you use?" 

"Sectumsempra." He answered shortly. 

Eliza looked down at the table and clicked her tongue, "What did Snape say?"

Harry groaned, "Detention every Saturday until the end of term. I can't play in the match this Saturday against Ravenclaw." 

Eliza nodded, listening to the rest of the detailed explanation about Malfoy having an interesting discussion with Moaning Myrtle. That made more sense after Myrtle asked Eliza to help Draco in whatever he was doing.

For the rest of the week, Eliza spent her days with her friends while she spent every night with Malfoy. It was suspicious and confusing but the blond never argued.

"Did Parkinson leave these chocolate frogs here?" She asked, eyeing the chocolate from her seat. 

Draco glanced at her before he sighed, "Just help yourself and leave." 

"No, can't do. I promised a ghost that I will take care of you." Eliza mumbled before she munched on a chocolate frog. "Myrtle is worried, you know." 

"Are you here to pester me into telling you what my task is?" He sneered, turning his head away from her.

Eliza tilted her head to the side and grabbed a book from her bag.

"What are you doing, Black?" He hissed when he noticed her getting comfortable on the chair. 

"Reading. Unlike your beloved Parkinson, I am just going to keep a close eye on you. You never know when the victim becomes the culprit." She said before hiding behind the book. 

Malfoy scowled and rolled on his side. He really hoped she was going to leave and he could sneak out to finish his task. 

* * *

Eliza didn't budge from her seat. She'd leave around midnight and come back the next day around ten in the afternoon. She'd grab a chair and pull it next to his bed, take a book from her bag and read it in complete silence. That happened until the weekend came around and Eliza decided to go watch the Quidditch match. 

Even if Harry wasn't there, Ginny was impeccable. She caught the Snitch and they won the cup. The party inside the common room was loud and Dean pulled Eliza into the cheerful crowd.

"I heard you split up with Ginny. You looked fine during the match, though." She mumbled after he handed her a glass of fire-whisky. 

"Yes, well it was for the team. I couldn't let anything distract me." He said, taking a long gulp from his Butterbeer. 

The portrait opened again and Harry walked in. Eliza turned towards him and saw him grab Ginny and kissing her in front of everyone. Dean broke the glass he was holding with a furious look on his face. The brunette took that as a sign to move far from him and avoid any questions along the lines of 'did you know?' or 'where you aware?'. 

* * *

For the whole weekend, she avoided Dean. That proved to be harder than she imagined because he was literally everywhere she was. While walking around the castle, thinking of her family, she passed a certain wall that gave off a strange feeling. Before she could search further, she felt someone tugging on her pants. 

"Furvus!" She hissed, taking the black cat into her hands. 

The brunette turned him around, searching for some kind of letter but he didn't have anything. He did look like he's been outside but he could have just been with Hagrid for all she knew.

Those green eyes of his were staring up at her in a very peculiar way. She frowned because it looked very humane, like he was trying to tell her something through his eyes. 

"Eliza." 

The brunette jumped and almost dropped Furvus. In the process of turning around, she hit him square in the nose.

"You're deranged!" He moaned, rubbing his nose.

"What the heck are you doing here? I thought you were inside..."

Draco's blue eyes narrowed at her before they fell on her hands. "Magic without a wand. You haven't done it after that time."

She glanced between him and her hand before she rolled her eyes, "I thought we passed that point already."

None spoke afterwards, only stared at each other, each with their thoughts and worries.

"Tomorrow," He begun, "It will happen tomorrow."

She tilted her head to the side, growing even more confused, "What will happen tomorrow?"

Draco looked to the side, his breathing getting heavier as he remembered his orders. His eyes were glowing in the light and Eliza frowned seeing him express so much fear.

"What are you so scared of, Draco?" She barely spoke before he glared at her and grabbed her shoulders roughly.

"Someone will die. I have to kill him but-but," He was rambling about something unknown to her yet he was making her stress over it, "You asked me what I am so scared of? I'm scared of **him** and what he can do to me and my family and _you._ " He leaned in and whispered, his grasp on her tightening.

"What did he tell you about me?"

Draco looked into her eyes, looking for some kind of reassurance before he let her go and took a few steps back.

"Nothing. No one is allowed to speak about you."

Eliza's head bent, her eyebrows furrowing and mind working overload, remembering and re-analyzing everything she learned about her mother. Was there something that she didn't consider before but was actually very important?

* * *

Next morning, Eliza dressed and left before the girls woke up. She went straight into Dumbledore's office, finding him sipping calmly from his cup of tea.

"You know don't you? You're the only one in the Order that knows who Ophelia Molley was." She started, not wasting any second afraid that there might not be a second chance.

"This day would have come sooner or later." He started before placing the cup down and offering her a seat.

"The Gaunt family members were direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Morfin Gaunt, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder he didn't commit." She started with what Harry told her. 

"The Gaunts, a very ancient wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins. Morfin Gaunt was not an exception; he was an abusive and violent wizard. Ophelia was what you would call an accidental child." Eliza's eyes widened at the amount of details thrown at her. Dumbledore continued, "Morfin had a sister who fell in love with a handsome and wealthy muggle whose name was Tom Riddle. She bewitched and married him and gave birth to a baby boy."

"Tom Riddle Junior," She pitched in, Dumbledore nodding before continuing his explanation. "He killed her, didn't he? He killed the witch that was stunned in the street in 1906."

"Yes, I believe he did. You see Eliza, the connection between Tom and Ophelia was based solely on their bond. Ophelia's rage and sorrow gathered during her years in orphanage and she learned dark magic quite early in her life."

"But she was adopted by Molley and she came to Hogwarts. Ophelia wasn't born in 1906. It wouldn't make sense which means Tom took another baby." She added, her eyes earnestly looking into Dumbledore's.

"You are right. Morfin Gaunt had an affair with a witch that was infatuated with him, a bit like Merope was with the muggle Tom Riddle. That witch died while her baby daughter was extracted by none other Tom and placed in an orphanage in Birmingham." He continued, pleased that Eliza was so calm. "Unfortunately, that baby had grown up into a woman with bright green eyes and a fiery personality." 

"Ophelia?" Eliza asked, leaning closer to the headmaster. 

He chuckled, his blue eyes watching her bemused, " _Lillian_. Lillian Gaunt. That is the name of the baby girl. Unfortunately, Lillian met Tom long before she came to Hogwarts. But that is not important now. What is important is your mother, Ophelia." 

"But they- I mean her mother died and she lived in an orphanage until Molley adopted her, right? What does that have to do with Lillian and-" Eliza stopped, finally placing the pieces together. Her eyes widened and she jumped on her feet. **"No."**  

Dumbledore watched her carefully as she paced in front of his desk. Her face was contorted in a disgusted expression and she wanted nothing but to vomit.

"She's his **daughter** , isn't she? Tom's." She said in disgust.

"I'm afraid that is so. Lillian fell in love with her cousin but Tom could never look at her as more than a mere need. Lillian was very gifted you see. She could do magic without a wand and she was an extraordinary Potions Master."

"Did he kill her when he found out she was pregnant?" 

"I believe so. But Tom needed that child just as much as he hated it. That child had his blood and could become useful when grown to maturity." Dumbledore continued, making Eliza feel more disgusted than ever before.

"He found her, didn't he? He found Ophelia in the same orphanage he placed Lillian. It was his plan all along?" 

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, seeing her green eyes darken.

"I tend to believe that Tom approached Ophelia when she was a child and they kept in touch during her teenage years. Being older and wiser, Tom used the loyalty and commitment of your mother to his own benefit. He didn't tell her that he was her father. I can guess he told her he was someone that cared deeply for her future."

"And she believed him because he was a charming man." Eliza added, her heart feeling heavy.

Dumbledore nodded, "Just because you share the same blood doesn't mean you are the same, Eliza."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, "Ophelia was Voldemort's daughter. She found out when she looked into Morfin Gaunt and accepted it. Ophelia was his daughter and Tom used her as a slave." She said, growing angry.

"Not exactly. I believe he looked upon her as a precious follower."

Eliza scoffed, "She was his remnant and now she's dead. I am the only descendant of Gaunt thus making me his only family left alive." Her voice cracked when reality kicked in, "If I go against him, he won't hesitate to kill me."

"You don't have to worry, Eliza. You have been raised with love and warmth and you have something your mother didn't possess for a very long time: friends." He was trying to comfort her but she was panicking and nothing could make her look in the mirror and not hate how much she looked like Ophelia  **Gaunt**.

Dumbledore stared at her with those blue eyes that were full of knowledge and anticipation.

"They will come and destroy everything." She whispered, her heart cringing at the thought of Hogwarts gone.

The headmaster smiled softly and patted her head; her eyes widened at the warmth and safety he gave away with one small gesture.

"Trust him." He whispered, startling her because she actually knew what he was talking about.

That discussion was the first and last she had with the headmaster. When she walked out of his office, she felt a chill go down her spine while her hands and feet got cold yet sweaty. Eliza was in the corridor, down to the Great Hall when dark clouds hovered the ground. In that moment, she could feel it; death was near.


	42. Taken

On the way back to the common room, Eliza couldn't think of anything but her mother. Ophelia was the daughter of Lillian Gaunt and her cousin, Tom Riddle Junior also known as Voldemort. That was the most disgusting information in her life and having his blood run through her veins was making her shudder. 

Now, how was she going to tell that to Harry? She was disgusted with herself and wanted to take a shower just to get it off her. 

Eliza entered the common room in silence and stayed in the dormitory until she heard Hermione come up the stairs, a few hours later.

"Liz! Harry left with Dumbledore and um-we should patrol the corridors just in case." Hermione said, walking in and giving her a flask. "It's Felix Felicis. Harry gave it to us." 

But Eliza shook her head and handed the flask back to her. For a moment she thought that maybe if she could stay hidden, everything else will move on and she wouldn't get involved. But Ginny entered next.

"We should go. The boys are downstairs and Luna is waiting for you Hermione." The ginger girl said, throwing a soft smile to Eliza. 

The green eyed witch felt her heart cringe. 

Being known for her skills in DADA, she walked around alone, Furvus supposedly protecting her. She went around for a while, maybe an hour, when she heard noise up towards the Astronomy Tower. 

With slow wary steps, Eliza followed the noise. Her eyes widened when she saw Remus and Tonks fighting off two cloaked men while more were spreading around. 

"Liz!" 

She heard Remus yell but it was too late. She got hit straight in the chest by what felt like the cruciatus curse. 

It hurt a lot but her mind was way too preoccupied to register how grave was the situation. Harry was nowhere in sight and Dumbledore was out. Eliza caught sight of a beastly man and glared. That was Fenrir Greyback and he was aiming at Neville, claws prepared to tear him apart. 

He saw her too and grinned, showing his pointed teeth like a wild animal. 

"What have we got here?" He snickered, taking one step towards her. 

Bill Weasley saw Greyback approach Eliza and jumped in front of her. "Stupefy!" He screamed but Greyback easily blocked it.

"Liz, help you friends. We're fine here." Tonks said, barely missing a hit. 

But a few minutes later and Eliza was still not sure what to do. Ginny was fighting only a few feet from her while Greyback attacked Bill and scratched him pretty badly. Eliza's eyes widened when she saw the Weasley brother fall unconscious. Greyback chuckled and turned towards Eliza. 

"We're not done yet, little girl." He said tauntingly, taking a few steps towards her. 

Eliza was staring at him with a blank expression. She glared at the Death Eater and pointed her wand at him. Unfortunately, a tall blond Death Eater started to throw curses all over and Eliza had to duck a few times, losing the sight of Greyback. 

She was warily surveying the corridor when she felt someone behind her. He grabbed her by the neck and pushed her into the wall. Eliza hit the back of her head but couldn't even defend herself when Greyback hit her with another hex. She screamed loudly, drawing attention. 

"Eliza!" Remus yelled, quite angry from what she could make out. 

She had a very bad headache and her ears were ringing uncontrollably.

Someone helped her on her feet and led her away from Greyback. 

* * *

"Eliza, are you alright?" She could barely make out Ron's voice. "Blimey, you're bleeding!" He was definitely more panicked than she was. 

With one lazy sway of her hand, she threw the blond Death Eater aside so he could stop firing curses everywhere. But they were strong and capable. 

"Ron, I'm fine. You go back and help the rest." Eliza urged, leaning against the wall in the Entrance Hall. 

"Are you sure? You look horrible and can't even stand." 

 **"Go."** She repeated in what was a firmer tone. Ron nodded and left. 

The noise was so loud that Eliza was surprised how the rest of the students couldn't hear it. The Death Eaters were not exactly subtle and she was sure the Dark Mark was enlightening the sky above Hogwarts. 

Eliza was trying keep her balance, regaining some senses and moving past the blurry vision. She was fine compared to Bill and Neville. 

Someone walked down the stairs and glanced around, noticing her standing there. Snape sighed and grabbed her harshly, dragging her along. 

"Snape." She said, throwing him a venomous glare. 

He was dragging her with him and Draco and it looked like he wasn't going to the dungeons. 

"Don't squirm, Black. This is for your own safety." Snape retorted, sounding very angry yet at the same time melancholic.

"You're getting me to him. How is that safe?" She hissed before glaring at Draco's pale face. "You did this."

"You don't know how dangerous he is. He threatened me and my family. You can't say no to him." Draco whispered, sounding more scared than Eliza. 

"I'd better die than betray Hogwarts. When Dumbledore-"

"Dumbledore is dead." Snape said coldly before handing her to Draco. They were already out of the castle, going down towards Hagrid's Hut. 

Registering what he said, Eliza felt a sudden coldness engulf her body. Just like Ophelia and Lillian, it was time for Eliza to meet those evil icy eyes of Lord Voldemort. 

* * *

Somewhere along the way, Harry screamed after Snape. She was sure he called Snape a coward which hit a nerve. Eliza squirmed again but the greasy haired teacher handed her to Draco.

"I will take care of this. You take her to the Dark Lord safely." He told the blond, who just nodded without questioning his professor.

She only got the chance to meet Harry's eyes for a second before Draco dragged her away, into the forest. He was pulling her along but his grip wasn't tight, like Snape's has been; actually, now that she could properly think, Draco was horrified.

"What did you do?" She asked, lowering her voice to a whisper so the blond Death Eater that was with them won't hear.

Draco looked to the side before he pulled her closer to him, "Snape killed Dumbledore. That was my task but I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him." He continued, quite disappointed, "I could only disarm him but nothing more." He finished, sighing heavily before grabbing a hand through his hair.

"You are not a murderer, Draco. You are not fit to become a Death Eater."

"I'm not weak." He stated firmly, assuring himself more than anyone else.

A loud scream sent a chill down her spine as rustles came from behind her. They turned towards the noise, Draco's wand prepared to stupefy whoever was there; it was Snape. He walked past Eliza, grabbing her wrist on the way.

"He wants to see you." He started, his eyes so dark that Eliza was curious what exactly happened between him and Harry.

"I don't want to see him." She hissed.

He glanced at her for a minute before pushing her to walk in front of him, "You don't have a choice."

"What happened to Harry? Did you kill him too?" Her ironic tone didn't seem to piss off Snape at all; it actually looked like he couldn't be bothered anymore with her antics.

He didn't respond and silently Apparated in a place she didn't know but could already predict from her Christmas discussion with Remus.

"The Malfoy Manor." She muttered, getting pulled towards what seemed to be a widely proportioned room

Being herself, she couldn't help but let her eyes scan the surroundings. The room had a handsome, ornate marble mantelpiece with a gilded mirror which has an intricately scrolled frame on top. It was amazing how beautiful it looked yet how the ones residing in it had no idea how to find a better use for it; and no persistence or bravery to stand their ground, for that matter.

Standing in silence at the table were people that would have pissed her off if it wasn't for their leader, rising and taking a few steps forward. When Eliza met his eyes, she had a quick flashback of the man in her dreams, raising his wand and pointing it at her. She swallowed in fear before Snape let her alone in front of him. Even Draco moved aside.

Standing in front of him, his suspiciously tall figure hovering over her, was intimidating.

"We finally meet," He started, taking one step towards her before continuing, "Family shall never be separated, especially not one like ours."

She couldn't help but scoff at those fake words, "That is quite an irony seeing as you killed your daughter."

Eliza couldn't look him in the eye, mostly because those empty eyes had haunted her dreams for so long and seeing them for real was terrifying.

"She betrayed me. She betrayed her family and ran away." He didn't sound displeased, though; if anything, he was staring at her with an air of elegance and anticipation like a snake watching his prey before launching an attack.

"Then I am a bastard created from two Gryffindors. I should die as soon as possible, isn't that right?" She spoke, almost whispered because she didn't want the whole room to know or hear the slight tremble in her voice.

Voldemort chuckled and leaned in, forcing Eliza to raise her gaze and meet her nightmare, "Your existence wasn't a burden; on the contrary, it was a blessing. Ophelia didn't betray me when she got pregnant or when she became soft for a certain Black, no, what she did was far worse. Ophelia died because she ran away from her responsibilities."

Eliza's eyes widened gradually yet she couldn't find a retort to what Voldemort said.

"I'm not my mother. I won't offer you my loyalty or commitment. You can die for all I care," She hissed, her face looking like a pissed off cat. 

Voldemort's hand twitched but still, his face seemed pleased with her reactions.

"My Lord, we should discuss more important matters right now. The Ministry will get involved as soon as the news of Dumbledore's death will reach them. I'm sure Eliza will understand you more after she will rest in her room." Snape interfered.

The two stared at each other in silence before Voldemort smiled slyly and nodded.

"Of course." He turned around, swaying his robe before getting back to his seat.

* * *

Mrs. Malfoy was the woman version of Lucius and the nicer version of Bellatrix. She was also far kinder than Eliza ever expected, her sole reason in life being the protection of her son and family.

As soon as they left Voldemort's sight, the young witch leaned against the nearest wall and sighed in relief. Facing the Dark Lord was not what she imagined.

She noticed Draco staring at her with worry and realized that her hands and legs were trembling in fear and she was still bleeding. Reality was so much worse than her dreams.


	43. Blood

Ever since Eliza was brought to the manor, she had been locked in a room and no matter how much she tried to leave, she couldn't. She hadn’t seen Voldemort after that first meeting and she wasn’t particularly keen on seeing him again. 

It's been almost three weeks since she has been living with the Malfoys and even though Narcissa was a kind companion, Eliza was like a bird locked in a very tight cage. Another problem was Bellatrix Lestrange who was also living with her sister- a presence Eliza hated with every fiber of her body.  
  
The Malfoy Manor was decorated through and through, with dimly lit corridors that Eliza couldn't fully explore. Eliza's room was close to Draco's from what Mrs. Malfoy told her but didn't come check on her once. Mrs. Malfoy told Eliza only what Voldemort found important for her to know, which was pretty much nothing. 

Eliza was kept under strict attention and she swore house elves were checking on her regularly.

Death Eaters were coming and leaving according to their needs. Just as Eliza imagined, Lucius Malfoy was released with the others from Azkaban and he was ready to do anything just to be kept alive.  
  
Every morning, a house elf would come into Eliza’s room and find her on the bed in what looked like a trance. Every morning the elf would place the breakfast on the table in her room and leave swiftly. However, one special morning, the house elf entered without a tray and asked Eliza to follow her downstairs, into the dining room. Bellatrix was not there, Eliza checked that first.  
  
“How do you feel, Eliza?” Malfoy asked from his seat at the end of the table. 

The house elf pulled the empty seat from across the table, having Eliza sit at the other end. She was uncomfortable and glanced at Draco every so often but he avoided her gaze. 

“You don’t have to look so wary. No one will harm you in any way.” He added, sipping from his morning tea.

Once the plate of food was placed in front of her, Eliza scanned it closely before she leaned back, “Why am I here?”

“For breakfast, of course. I thought you might want to get out of your room for a change.” He said cordially, like everything was normal and she was a willing guest.

“Then why don’t you let me go, for a change?” She retorted ironically.

“You are needed here.”

She rolled her eyes, “I am most definitely not needed anywhere but home. Voldemort’s plans don’t include me and even if they do, I don’t care.” She got up and pushed the plate aside, “Put me in a cell or whatever you want but don’t act like I want to be here.”

The older blond glared at her but didn’t say anything while his son hid his smirk behind the glass of pumpkin juice.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, at lunch Lucius did take her out in the garden for a change.

"I never intended to have Ophelia endangered. I treasured our friendship unlike her." He started, his chin raised so he could look down at the world from his gigantic ego.

"Strange. I thought you were always by your Dark Lord's side and only vowed to protect her because she was his daughter." She retorted, not being used to hear Lucius talk about her mother yet, "She trusted you and you betrayed her in your hunger for power."

He raised an eyebrow and stopped, plunging his walking stick right in front of her, almost into her foot. 

"If I were to betray her I would have been dead by now. I protected her."

Eliza stared at him for a moment before she asked, "From what? Sirius Black? James Potter? Her father? If you treasured her then how did they find out where she was? How did you find out exactly?"

"There are many ways to find such information especially with a family like hers." He sounded like he really hated the Gaunts but he was at the mercy of Tom Riddle himself.

"Voldemort seems to value blood relationships greatly. I know he murdered his father and grandparents and even blamed his uncle for it. Even so, he's proud of his pure blooded roots and kept an eye on Ophelia." She changed the subject and Malfoy pulled back his stick, resuming their walk.

"Even if he dies, his blood will continue to residue in your veins."

At that sudden realization, Eliza shuddered, feeling like she was infested with a deadly virus.

"That is disgusting. He looks at me and sees Ophelia not I."

"And that should work in your favor. The Dark Lord raised Ophelia once she proved her magic to him. He became the only man she could look up to. She was overflowing with love and admiration for the one who was holding onto her future."

"Until she met Sirius Black," Eliza added, Malfoy's face morphing into an older version of his son's sneer, "He offered her a second perspective, one with friends that would never betray her and would always give her a reason to smile and hope. Something you never did, have you?"

Lucius stopped, narrowing his eyes at the shorter girl, "She wasn't like them. It was bad enough that she chose Gryffindor against her real house but she wanted to erase her past completely."

"And she asked her friends to help her. You, Snape and Regulus were the closest people to her and she tried to get you to join Dumbledore. Ophelia was sure you could redeem yourselves together." She figured, which was actually making a lot of sense now.

Every Slytherin wanted to be a Death Eater back then and being regarded as gifted and powerful, the three Slytherins Ophelia cared for barged inside the dark world willingly. That must have hurt Ophelia since she knew exactly what kind of man was Voldemort and how much their lives were going to change.

"I told her back then what I’m telling you now: they will get you killed sooner or later so just give in and follow his path." He hissed. 

Eliza stared ahead, breathing in the fresh air before she had to enter the dark, cold mansion.

“Should you be speaking such words, Malfoy? I was there, hiding in a secret compartment and you saw me,” She said, her eyes moving on the platinum blond,“You didn’t tell him. You betrayed him already because just like your son, you are only words and no action.” She stated coldly.  
  
Lucius glared at her and looked like he was going to hit her. Luckily, someone interfered.

“Father, Fenrir Greyback is here.” Draco announced, his eyes on the brunette.  
  
Malfoy grunted and seized her up before he returned inside the manor. Eliza turned towards the dark scenery and sighed heavily, feeling like her heart was being squished.

“Are you alright?” Draco asked once he got next to her. 

“My mother accepted him so easily. Even when she found out he was a monster, she didn't care. She stayed with him until she realized she couldn't anymore." Eliza mumbled thoughtfully. 

The blond had a vague idea what she was speaking about but he had a different curiosity, “Why did they bring you here, Eliza? Why is the Dark Lord so obsessed with you?”

“My mother was his daughter and I believe that makes me his only blood relative alive. Half is the blood of Gaunt and the other half is the blood of Black. Anyway you look at it, my life is nothing but thick smoke.”

Draco’s eyes widened and looked down at her with pity. Voldemort was a scary entity, moreover facing the snake was too high of an accomplishment for him. He didn’t know how to comfort her so he changed the subject.

“They will have a meeting today.” He admitted, his voice trembling slightly.

“You don't have to look so terrified. I'm sure he won't kill you.” She retorted, finding her own issue far worse than his petty one.

He shook his head and licked his lips nervously, letting the mask of false bravery break, “I didn’t complete my task. I didn’t kill Dumbledore.”

Eliza sighed and grabbed his hand, squeezing it a bit in sign of reassurance, “He will definitely be angry but he won’t kill you; the worse he can do is depreciate you and your family.”

Which was exactly what happened and it wasn’t a nice view at all; she could see Draco’s body trembling in fear and Lucius looked scared out of his mind. 

Eliza wasn’t sure why she had to be brought there when she made herself clear that she won’t raise a finger for Voldemort; of course, that wasn’t a matter he couldn’t resolve as he personally stated.

That was how Eliza found herself chained in the air with Death Eaters around, pointing their wands at her. She was panicking. Her eyes fell on Snape but he wasn’t looking her way, preferring to look down at the table.

“W-What are you doing my Lord?” Malfoy stuttered, walking behind his master.

Voldemort smiled and tilted his head to the side, looking like he was going to do something really bad to her, 

“Crucio.” He whispered. 

Her eyes widened and felt her spine bent. 

Draco jumped on his feet and turned to Snape. He wasn’t moving a finger but he was cringing at her whimpers.

Bellatrix laughed loudly and walked closer to Eliza, “My, my, the bastard child is in pain~” That didn’t stop her from pointing her wand at Eliza and using the cruciatus curse as well.

Thanks to Snape’s training with the deadly curses, Eliza learned that she should bite back her screams and concentrate on pushing the pain into her hands and legs so that her heart wouldn’t be pressured. That was easier done in a classroom with her professor than actually doing it in front of Voldemort. As soon as the pain numbed, she looked at him, that cruel wide smile widening when their eyes met.

“My Lord-“ Lucius started but quickly shut his mouth and leaned back as his precious Dark Lord glared at him.

“What a disappointment you are, Lucius. Your son couldn’t complete a simple task and you lost sight of your priorities.” The blue eyed snake moved aside and let Lucius free path towards the witch, “Prove to me that you aren’t blinded by your past and you are still loyal to me.” He smiled and nodded towards Eliza.

Everyone in the room waited in silence for Malfoy to use the curse on Eliza, showing therefore that he wasn’t seeing her as her mother.

Eliza eyed Malfoy and scowled, “You can’t do it.”

And he didn’t have to because Snape finally rose from his seat and cursed her himself, sparing both Malfoys the shame of revealing their weak points. Eliza threw her head back and groaned, closing her eyes tightly as her whole body fought against the pain.

“Let’s drop the act, my Lord. She’s not yet prepared to use her magic at the same level as your daughter.” He said coldly, his tone well controlled so he wouldn’t end up offending the snake.

Voldemort seemed to ponder on Snape’s remark and came to a positive conclusion. He dropped the spell and she fell on the ground like a rock. Malfoy’s eyes widened and he swallowed nervously, moreover he signed to his wife to grab the witch and tend to her wounds. Narcissa nodded and asked her son for help, noticing the scowls on everyone’s faces.

“She’s not Ophelia, my Lord. She needs to learn.” Snape continued, walking next to him, “I can teach her for the time being.”

Voldemort hummed and played with his wand while thinking who to honor with that position; Snape had to go back to Hogwarts and he couldn’t trust Lucius when he knew he had a soft spot for Eliza.

“No, let someone else do the honors.” He smirked and turned to what was probably his most faithful follower, “Bellatrix.” 


	44. Reason

Eliza’s screams became something common in the Malfoy Manor for the next two months and the pain was getting worse; everything she learned with Snape became irrelevant because Bellatrix was insane.

Bellatrix stopped calling her a bastard child and came up with an even worse pet name for her, one that Eliza hated.

“Sneaky little mutt! You can’t hide~”

It was by a miracle that Eliza found a way to escape Bellatrix’s sight. Hearing her loud voice resonating through the manor wasn’t helping Eliza.

“Come out, come out wherever you are~” 

The green eyed witch spun around, searching for a place to hide but the doors were all locked and she didn’t have enough strength to use magic; she wasn’t even sure where her wand was. The sound of loud cracks on the old wood was enough to make her panic and gulp in fear. Bellatrix was just around the corner when Eliza got pulled into the wall, inside a hidden room that smelled horrible, had no lights and was altogether a mess. She knew the perfume so it wasn’t a surprise when he turned her around and checked her condition.

“You look horrible.” He whispered, helping her stay on her feet.

“This feels very familiar.” She chuckled, falling in his arms when her ankles gave up.

Her back stung and blood was oozing out of her side; it was worse than before and Draco was wondering for how long she could keep that up before falling unconscious. His answer came a few seconds later.

* * *

Eliza grunted and woke up in a room that was covered in Slytherin emblems and pride. She groaned and leaned on her elbows but someone pushed her right back.

“What the-“

Eliza was ready to curse whoever was forcing her to lie down but swallowed her words at the sight of Narcissa Malfoy.

“Rest. I will take care of my sister so no one will bother you tonight.” The woman said softly, placing something next to Eliza’s side.

Those green eyes widened, “My wand,” 

Eliza reached out for it when Narcissa grabbed her hand tightly.

The woman leaned in with a frown on her face, “Don’t let them know you have it. He wants to awaken something that you do not have within.” She whispered, her eyes wide and scared.

“The darkness?” The young girl asked but it didn’t seem like that was the case.

“Ophelia.” She hissed before getting up and walking out of the room, leaving the door slightly cracked for Draco to enter.

Eliza leaned back, a look of confusion and complete surprise as she started to ponder on such possibility. What were Voldemort’s intentions?

“I had to carry you here; again. You owe me, Black.” Draco started, sitting on the bed, “Your condition is bad and the Dark Lord is angry.”

Eliza scoffed and, through some torturous movements, succeeded in getting up enough to lean against the mattress and have a good view of the door.

“Your room is extremely green and silver.”

That was random but she wanted to talk about things normal people would talk about. 

Suspiciously, Draco actually understood why she suddenly started to talk about his room instead of the dreadful time she spent with Bellatrix- and it was a lot of time.

“I’m sure yours is extremely red and gold,” He answered her with the same type of rubbish sentence, “Pictures with Potter everywhere, I bet,”  
  
Eliza raised an eyebrow and stared at the blond bemusedly, “Not in the least. You genuinely think my relationship with Harry goes overboard.”

Draco chuckled and leaned on his hand, “Maybe. Whenever trouble occurs, there’s Potter and his friends.”

She bit the inside of her cheek and suppressed a light chuckle. Being there, having a conversation like nothing dark was happening right outside his room was good for their mental health. Draco’s been so scared, Eliza was sure he was ready to flee at any given opportunity.

“You’re going back to Hogwarts, aren’t you?”

He frowned and looked down, giving her a silent answer. It has been definitely announced through Death Eaters that Eliza was going to be kept there; she was a threat for them if she were to go search for Harry.

“Just- tell them I’m alive, my friends.” She mumbled, fidgeting when she thought how worried her friends must be. 

Remus was probably going crazy.Thinking of her godfather, those green eyes saddened. Interestingly enough, Draco’s heart cringed when he saw the strength leave those pretty green eyes.

“You miss them so much?” The tone wasn’t soft, moreover it sounded like he was accusing her, “Those Gryffindors worth so much to you?”

She looked up at him and licked her lips, taking her wand and playing with it while speaking, “Does Slytherin mean so less to you?”

“Slytherin is my house. Of course it matters.” He sneered.

She chuckled and nodded, “Exactly. Voldemort won’t let me out of here anytime soon and you will be my only connection to the outside world.”

He scoffed and leaned towards her, enough for her to notice the scratch on his neck. She didn’t ask anything about it since she wasn’t in any position to comment but her eyes would always end up on the fresh scratch.

"Right now it’s too late for us to realize what we entangled ourselves with. We can only survive and hope we won't die.”

Saying it out-loud, reality seemed even worse and brutal. Their lives were hanging on a thread tied around the tip of Voldemort’s wand.  
  


* * *

  
It was a few days later when Eliza got thrown into a bookshelf by her so called trainer. Bellatrix was softer but her hits were sharp and the target was always Eliza’s face.

“Come on, mutt. You have the blood of Gaunt and Black mixed in that thin body of yours. Show me magic,” Bellatrix hissed, her eyes getting wider and crazier as she levitated Eliza closer.

It was getting harder to contain her anger and disappointment and all the bad energies she accumulated over the past three months. Eliza was bound to show Bellatrix what she wanted to see and it happened sooner than expected. As Eliza’s body was flying towards the Death Eater, one of her hands twitched and sparks erupted from her fingertips. 

Belatrix chuckled darkly, finding the sight really pitiful.

“Expecto Patronum.” Eliza groaned.

The sparkles fell on the ground, shifting into the form of a wolf before the animal rose on two feet and growled at Bellatrix. 

In one swift motion, the werewolf attacked the woman, launching at her crazily, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Being busy with the Patronus, Bellatrix dropped Eliza on the floor. She had little time so the young witch quickly retracted her Patronus and glared at Bellatrix before whispering, _“Crucio,”_

Bellatrix’s eyes widened even more, getting thrown into the fireplace quite harshly.

Lucius Malfoy entered right in time, his condition being worse than the last time Eliza saw him.

“We have a meeting and you are to take part in it as well, Eliza.”

She bit her lip and glowered at Bellatrix’s rising form, “What is it about?”

“Harry Potter.”

* * *

  
“Let me go.” She hissed at what was probably a mix of disgust and hatred on the man’s face.

Eliza refused to enter the room so a Death Eater appeared at the door and grabbed her forcefully, bringing her in front of Voldemort. The snake glanced at her with sparkles in his eyes, feeling very proud that she could witness what he had planned.

The Death Eater with an ugly face named Dolohov placed her on a chair and took his own seat at the table. Eliza tried to get up but an invisible force kept her on the chair. A few minutes later and Snape walked in, taking his seat on Voldemort's right while the other Death Eater named Yaxley sat next to Dolohov.  

" So? You bring news, I trust?” 

Snape glanced at what has been once his student before his eyes fell on the Dark Lord, “It will happen Saturday next, at nightfall,”

Eliza frowned, moving a bit in her special seat.

Yaxley took the word, “I've heard differently, my Lord. Dawlish, the Auror, has let slip that the Potter boy will not be moved until the 30th of this month. The day before he turns 17.”

“This is a false trail. The Auror Office no longer plays any part in the protection of Harry Potter. Those closest to him believe we have infiltrated the Ministry,” 

“Well, they got that right, haven't they?”

Everyone laughed.

Eliza couldn’t help but feel powerless in front of them, having no desire to interfere in any way. She sighed silently, having a very good sight over the table, especially the back of Lucius and Draco Malfoy.

*“My Lord,” Yaxley went on, “Dawlish believes an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy—”

Voldemort held up a large white hand, and Yaxley subsided at once, watching resentfully as Voldemort turned back to Snape.

“Where are they going to hide the boy next?”

“At the home of one of the Order,” said Snape. “The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide. I think that there is little chance of taking him once he is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has fallen before next Saturday, which might give us the opportunity to discover and undo enough of the enchantments to break through the rest.”

“Well, Yaxley?” Voldemort called down the table, the firelight glinting strangely in his red eyes. “Will the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?”

Once again, all heads turned. Yaxley squared his shoulders.

“My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have—with difficulty, and after great effort—succeeded in placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse.” Many of those sitting around Yaxley looked impressed; his neighbor, Dolohov, a man with a long, twisted face, clapped him on the back.*

Eliza's eyes lowered on the snake moving around like he was at home, crawling towards whomever he didn’t find trustworthy. It was really close to Eliza but the snake didn’t glance twice at her. It slipped up towards his master in utter silence. A sudden cry of pain sent a chill down Eliza's back, tensing her immediately.

Voldemort's face suddenly became grim and angry. He screamed at Pettigrew to keep the guest quiet yet he wasn’t referring to Eliza; no, there was someone else, someone in deep pain. That didn’t mean Eliza didn’t flinch at the sudden change of attitude; she closed her eyes and swallowed nervously.

*“As I was saying,” continued Voldemort, looking again at the tense faces of his followers, “I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter.”

The faces around his displayed nothing but shock; he might have announced that he wanted to borrow one of their arms.

“No volunteers?” said Voldemort. “Let’s see . . . Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore.”*

Eliza leaned forward a bit. They were all cowards, spending their lives as cockroaches running from one pile of thrash to the other, just as the wind was blowing and their needs were lowering or increasing.

Lucius Malfoy was the principle cockroach, in that case; he was the perfect prey at the moment, scared and willing to do anything just to save his life, his pride already greatly damaged. He gave his wand, more or less forced by the circumstances. Eliza sighed and leaned back, her mother’s face appearing in her mind telling Eliza to trust Malfoy and Snape; if only her mother could witness what Eliza was.

Voldemort seemed pretty content with what he’s done, and smiled slyly, “Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?”

“Of course, my Lord,” said Lucius Malfoy. His hand shook as he wiped sweat from his upper lip. “We did desire it—we do.”

Eliza scoffed behind her hand. Voldemort's eyes flickered to her while Bellatrix beamed with pride and emotion for her beloved Dark Lord. 

“There is no higher pleasure than having you here. My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!”

“No higher pleasure . . . even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?”

She stared at him, her lips parted, evidently confused.

“I don’t know what you mean, my Lord.”

“I’m talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And your, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud.” 

Eliza's eyes widened and felt her whole body freeze. Remus and Tonks got married and she wasn't there. Her godfather got married, found love in another and Eliza didn't witness any of it. She choked and made a guttural noise that sounded a lot like a half heartened howl.

"Such an event and the most important member was not there. Such a pity, isn't it, Eliza?" The snake asked, his eyes moving over her figure. He looked very content with himself unlike Bellatrix who looked furious.    
  
As the subject progressed, Eliza was sure her hatred for Bellatrix increased over normal hatred. Voldemort's eyes flicked to something hanging upside down above the table. Eliza blinked twice, not sure she had seen it when she first walked inside the room.  With one sway of his wand, the body flinched and woke up. Eliza's eyes widened when she recognized her professor.

Muggle Studies has never been her favorite subject and she’s had a lot of homework for that particular class yet Professor Burbage did not deserve death. She was one of the nicest professors at Hogwarts, full of compassion and understanding towards her students.

"We have a guest tonight. It is Miss Burbage's belief that Muggles are not so different from us. She would, given her way have us mate with them.” The Dark Lord continued, Eliza closing her eyes waiting for what was to come soon, “To her, the mixture of magical and Muggle blood is not an abomination.” He continued.

“Severus, please.”

Eliza felt her breath hitch in her chest when she heard the pleadings of her former professor. Snape did not react, his face blank and eyes cold as ice.

“Avada Kedavra!”

The pale demon killed the muggle without remorse, giving her to his pet as dinner.

* * *

That was the end of the meeting and everyone scattered yet Eliza wanted to speak to Snape. 

She thought she was quite good at sneaking around but once he got inside the hall, Snape stopped and turned to her.

"What is it, Black?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Eliza couldn't even look at him without remembering the face of professor Burbage. However, she had two questions that needed immediate answers.

"What is the reason you didn't give me Occlumency lessons? The real one." She asked bluntly.

Snape looked down at her with less to no patience. She was repeating the mistakes her mother had done without even realizing it.

"Your mind is a mess. A labyrinth created by your dear mother in order to hide her memories." 

Eliza's eyes widened. So everything she dreamed for the past years was real, memories left behind by her mother. 

"Then why does Voldemort want these memories?" She continued with the second question.

Snape sighed and for a moment, in the dimly lit hall, he looked very tired, on the verge to collapse. 

"Remember that Ophelia is his daughter. He taught her Dark Magic and originally intended to make her a horcrux. But your mother ran away." 

Something clicked in her mind. She could easily become a horcrux and if that wouldn't work, Voldemort could just enchant her and use her soul. Ophelia was his daughter after all and that was her so called responsibility. 

"Is that all?" Snape asked irritably, interrupting her trail of thoughts.

"What happened when she died? Why can I remember it like it happened yesterday?" 

"The one dying in your memory is Lillian Gaunt. I was there when you were born and I helped Ophelia place the enchantment over you. I took you and gave you to Remus Lupin when you were just a newborn baby just before your grandfather killed her." 

Those were very, very important details and they were turning her whole life upside down. Everything she knew was a lie implanted in her head by her own mother. Memories. It was always about these annoying memories.

Snape left afterwards and Eliza went upstairs. Not even Fenrir Greyback could shake her out of her mellow mood and he almost literally shook her if it wasn't for Lucius Malfoy. 

"Worried for Potter?" The older blond asked her when he noticed the way she'd just stand like a puppet. 

"My whole life is a big joke. My memories are not even mine. My whole existence is revolving around my mother." She breathed out, feeling her heart cringe. 

Lucius' eyes widened and he harshly pushed her inside her room before closing the door and locking it. 

"You don't understand even half of her life. She didn't want you to have the same fate." He said in Ophelia's defense. 

"Then what is the truth about the day she was murdered by Voldemort?" 

Lucius sighed, visibly uncomfortable with remembering that.

"You were already gone when we arrived. I knew you wouldn't be there but I didn't expect Ophelia to send you to Lupin. The Dark Lord knew about the prophecy and before killing Potter he visited your mother, in June. She was waiting for him, knowing what he wanted and she refused once again. Ophelia was ready to die and the Dark Lord lost his patience." 

"She was his daughter!" Eliza snapped, "Ophelia was his daughter and he just killed her like it was nothing. What about Lillian?" 

"Lillian died a long time ago, in the same house. The reasons are different, only the Dark Lord knows them. But your mother was there and she saw it happen. Her memories probably got mixed with your own illusion." He explained slowly.

"You're telling me I've been imagining that all this time?! I have been dreaming that terrible act of murder, I've been haunted by it for nothing?!" She said gritting her teeth as tears fell down her cheeks. "He will kill me for the same reason he killed her." 

"Not if you do as he says. You should learn from your mother's mistakes." 

Eliza scowled, "My mother has been ruining my life. **My life."**


	45. Risk

The moon raised high on the sky and illuminated the manor and the grounds around, especially the lawn which seemed never ending. The clouds hovered over the manor and every time the wind picked up or rain poured down, mist would cover the manor and hide the horizon from the eyes of those inside.

Eliza found herself in front of the window in the library, surrounded by books and house elves who were tidying it up quietly.  

Ever since she had that discussion with Snape a few days ago, Eliza’s been coming to the library every night. She'd stand in the same spot in front of the window and stare ahead with no expression whatsoever. Those green eyes darkened even more as reality settled in and she let go of the little hope she had.

That was how Draco found her one night, her hands hanging loosely alongside her body and eyes sore.

Unfortunately, Draco wasn’t the most fit person to tell her that everything will be alright because he knew those words were meaningless. Darkness was spreading throughout the whole world and nothing could stop Voldemort's ascendance.

“Potter was moved last night,” He announced walking closer, “Alastor Moody was killed in the process and one of the Weasley scu-brothers was wounded.” He informed her.

But Eliza only blinked and looked down at her hands; those long fingers were covered in blood even if it was only theoretically. She could have been there, protecting her friends but instead, she was confined in a cold house whose inhabitants were scared for their lives.

The blond sighed and ushered the house elves to leave.

“What do you think they are doing now?” He asked once they were left alone.

“He’s all alone.” She whispered.

It was amazing how tall she got over the years; she was almost one head smaller than him and she was incredibly thin after all the torture she’s been through. But she wasn’t complaining.

Draco sneered, “I doubt it. It seems there will be a wedding. In such dark times, a Weasley decides to marry. It doesn’t even surprise me with their-” He stopped when she hit him.

"At least someone’s still positive during the war.”

“Not for long.” His voice was full of sarcasm and irony and she was tired of it.

Eliza walked towards the door with a heavy heart and heavy steps. Once she entered her room, she took a long look around and sighed. She was so, so lonely.

* * *

Draco left early next morning saying that he needed to buy stuff for Hogwarts. He wandered the streets of Diagon Alley, a light chill going down his spine when he noticed that every store that used to brighten his childhood was either closed or destroyed. It was a bad sight and the silence was spreading quickly.

He wanted to buy something for her, especially because she looked like she needed something to brighten up her mood. The blond sneered at the silly store of the Weasley twins and passed it quickly. 

Going down the street, he was wondering what exactly Eliza liked. He never asked her anything personal and he didn't even help her during those three months of terror. His family has literally become prisoners into their own house and no one was allowed to get Eliza off the propriety.

While being immersed in his thoughts, Draco ignored his surroundings and the person following him from the shadows. The shock came when the blond was pushed against the wall in a darker corner of the same street, right across Olivander's.

"Where is she?" It was the husky voice of a man who's been working too much.

Draco glanced over his shoulder but couldn't see much. The man turned him around and pointed the tip of his wand at his pale neck.

"Where is Eliza?"

Remus Lupin looked even worse than the last time Draco saw him in Hogwarts. His hair was getting grey around his temples and he looked even worse than his father.

Remus searched for Eliza everywhere and even if he forced himself to believe in her, she was still just a child in his eyes. He couldn't help but shiver at the thought that she might be harmed. Remus had Tonks now and the love and comfort coming from his newly wife was amazing but it wasn't the same parental love he was feeling for Eliza. Ever since Dumbledore died and Eliza's disappeared, Remus has been having nightmares and they were terrible.

Seeing Draco wander alone, he knew he had to grasp the chance and question him.

"It's been a long time, professor. I was wondering how the full moon is treating you these days." The blond snarled.

Remus was usually a patient, calm man but having the son of a Death Eater sneer at him was pissing him off.

"I don't believe you are aware that I can take you in front of the Order and torture you for answers." Remus threatened, pushing the tip against his skin.

Draco’s eyes widened, measuring his options before responding, "She's alive, in my home. She is not in any danger but the house is enchanted and she can't leave." He whispered, watching Lupin's face soften.

"Why is he keeping her there?"

Draco raised an eyebrow and chuckled bemusedly, thinking that Remus and the Order didn't know anything.

"To keep her away from you, obviously." He mumbled, deciding to keep the rest to himself, "Everyone knows she will run to Potter's side as soon as she gets the chance."

Remus opened his mouth but stopped before doing anything reckless. 

"Fine." 

The werewolf let the blond go before leaning against the wall himself, rubbing his face. At least he knew Eliza was alive but getting her out of the Malfoy manor had to be planned out carefully.

* * *

Eliza was in the library, rather early since she'd usually go there when she was sure the room was engulfed in darkness. For some reason, she wanted to see the sunrise, even if it wasn't very clear through the heavy dark clouds.  
   
She noticed another shadow elongate alongside hers and said, "I thought you're leaving for Hogwarts today."  
  
The blond closed the door and sat next to her. Suddenly, he wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her into his chest.  
  
She was ready to make a remark when he started to speak, "Remus Lupin questioned me today in Diagon Alley." He whispered in her hair.

She froze, "What did you tell him?" She mumbled, placing her hands on his chest.  
  
"Why does it matter?"  
  
She hit his chest and squirmed out of his grasp, "He is my godfather, of course it matters." She hissed, breathing heavily just thinking about what Remus was going through, "Anyway, how did he look?"  
  
"He looked worn out."

She rubbed her eyes and sighed, taking a seat on the nearest armchair before fidgeting thoughtfully.  
  
"Look, Eliza, if you want I can tell them you are alive but nothing more. I can't be seen around the likes of-" He stopped for a moment before continuing, "Anyway, I should get going now."  
  
He was ready to leave when Eliza's head snapped up. She jolted on her feet, wrapping her hands around Draco's back.  
  
"Thank you." She mumbled in the fabric of his sweater.  
  
But Draco was experiencing warmth that he never felt before. His heart skipped a bit only thinking she was hugging him without one of them being wounded or sick.

* * *

As soon as Draco left, Narcissa took it upon herself to keep Eliza company. She would drag Eliza out of her room, telling her stories about the Black family. None mattered to Eliza but seeing how Narcissa was willing, the brunette asked what she was curious about.   
  
"What about Ophelia. Wasn't your husband her loyal best friend?"  
  
Narcissa stopped whatever she was drinking and put the cup down slowly.

"Ophelia had a soft spot for Sirius' younger brother, Regulus. That's mainly how Lucius met her, during a meeting of Slytherins eager to become Death Eaters."  
  
"But Ophelia already knew Tom; he raised her so she knew exactly what kind of treatment they will get."  
  
"I suppose she did," Narcissa mumbled coldly, making a sign to a house elf to come pour her more tea before cleaning the room.  
  
"You never wanted it, have you? You were scared of him. You still are. Voldemort terrifies you and that is why I am here. I am her replacement, willing to save you because I want to defy him." 

Narcissa glared at the young brunette but couldn't deny her words. 

"Ophelia was a tortured child, manipulated into believing everything he'd tell her. He had her in the palm of his hand and the blood connection was just his way to keep her submissive. I was there when she told Lucius that she preferred Potter's bright vision instead of her father's. I was there when Sirius presented Ophelia to our family as his lover." Narcissa said.  
  
Eliza leaned in, curiosity getting the best of her, "How did they react?"  
  
"They didn't. Ophelia Gaunt's existence was a secret and Sirius told everyone that she was a mud-blood. My aunt reacted negatively and banned Ophelia from entering the house ever again. A few days later, Sirius ran away and Ophelia was sent away."  
  
"But what about Lucius and Ophelia?"  
  
Narcissa scoffed, "There wasn't anything but friendship. Lucius never looked at Ophelia as more than a friend. Every young Death Eater knew that she was the one who could offer them protection in front of the Dark Lord. All of them approached her at some point."  
  
"Then how could she know who was a friend and who was a fraud?"  
  
The woman shrugged, "She couldn't. She had to risk."

"What about the memories, then? What's so important that Voldemort is being so agreeable with me?" Eliza asked, watching Narcissa intensely.

The woman in front of her looked down at her lap before raising his eyes to the green eyed witch. Eliza looked a lot like her mother and Narcissa was surprised she could be so calm around her. 

"Ophelia Gaunt witnessed many murders, not all the Dark Lord's. He raised her for his own private purposes but he didn't foresee her betrayal. She was willing to be like him, she wanted to until she entered Hogwarts."

"She wasn't like him, then. He must have been disappointed." Eliza said, playing with the hem of her shirt. "Was Lillian a Gryffindor as well?" 

"I don't know. No one does but Ophelia and the Dark Lord. Some say she never went to Hogwarts and learned everything from her cousin." Narcissa said softly, remembering she had been banned to discuss that topic by the Dark Lord himself. 

"How do I unlock these memories?" Eliza asked after a few minutes of silence.

"The one who enchanted it has to break it himself or die. Even then, it's not clear what can happen. Your mind will be overflown with another's memories and you might get confused."

Eliza chuckled darkly, feeling her fingers tingle irritably, "I'll go insane, isn't it? That's just another risk my mother so kindly took."


	46. A Moment to Remember

Nothing really happened afterwards. Much like Voldemort said, Eliza was granted everything except leaving and if there was something she needed or wanted, a Death Eater -usually Lucius or Yaxley- would fetch it for her.  
  
Going into the library became a habit and she started to read instead of wallowing in her misery. Standing there, hidden from all the ruckus happening outside the mansion was making her feel both guilty and melancholic. School's already begun and she was curious what the others were doing.  

Eliza was one of the few students who wouldn't go to Hogsmeade often. Most times she was dragged by Snape into his office or she had to do homework. During a Hogsmeade break, Eliza got the chance to talk to Harry in the common room. 

Remembering the glasses boy, she started to feel bad for him. Eliza had to recognize she didn't like him much at first and now she knew why. It was Voldemort's influence over her mind. 

"Mistress wants tea?" A house elf trailed over, already placing the cup of tea and plate of biscuits on the table in front of Eliza.

The green eyed witch looked at the elf with kind eyes, unlike the rest of the inhabitants. 

“Have you been working here for a long time-“

“Mildred. Mildred has been working for master Malfoy for her whole life.” The house elf responded, her brown eyes staring innocently at Eliza’s green ones.

Eliza leaned on her knees, “Do I look familiar?”

Mildred hesitated and glanced at the door, “Mildred should not be talking about that. Master Malfoy gets mad.” She breathed out, scared that something might happen to her again.

Eliza raised an eyebrow before she grabbed Mildred’s thin hands softly, “It’s alright. As long as I am here, nothing will happen to you.” The witch assured the house elf.

Mildred smiled and held onto Eliza’s hands, “Mildred met the green eyed witch before and heard master Malfoy talk to Regulus Black about her. They vowed not to tell anyone of her child but the Dark Lord found out.” Mildred lowered her voice to a whisper before continuing, “The Dark Lord was angry and questioned the green eyed witch. Ah, Mildred could see it through the hollow in the door, he was s-so angry and he was s-screaming.” Mildred’s voice trembled at the memory.

“Why was he mad? What did she tell him?” The witch urged the elf to continue.

Mildred swallowed nervously and glanced at the door before turning to Eliza, “The green eyed witch asked to marry Sirius Black because she was pregnant with his child. The Dark Lord refused and told master Malfoy to keep her locked into the attic. Mildred heard from Dobby that she escaped with the help of Regulus Black and Severus Snape."

Eliza squeezed Mildred’s hands unconsciously.

“What happened afterwards?”

Mildred sighed and looked at Eliza with pity in her big eyes, “Mildred only knows that she escaped, nothing more. But master Malfoy was punished and Regulus Black disappeared a few days later.”

Eliza sighed and nodded with a smile, leaving Mildred return to her work.

If she were to place the pieces together, the three Slytherins made a vow to Ophelia. All three respected it until the end. Lucius probably kept the secret while Regulus and Snape helped her escape. Eliza remembered her dream. Snape said Regulus was punished but it seemed like he was already planning to defy Voldemort anyway. He died right after Sirius told him where was Ophelia.

But Voldemort found out and he imprisoned her in the attic, asking her to give him the child for sure. She refused and with the help of her friends, she escaped and hid with Snape, knowing he was the last person she would go since they didn’t seem close. However, in that letter from Snape, it looked like Sirius knew Ophelia's plan to hide which meant-

“Sirius knew Ophelia’s real identity.” Eliza whispered, her heart feeling lighter for some reason.

 _“Did you trust mom?” She asked, assuring Sirius that she definitely heard something from the former Death Eater._  
  
He took a long breath in before leaning back and sighing heavily. Those eyes of his were concentrated on her; she was a blunt person who couldn’t express her thoughts and feelings yet her face was pretty much giving it away; but not now.  
  
“I did. **Even when I knew she was lying, I trusted her**. Eliza, your mother had her own **share of secrets** , especially about her **years before she came to Hogwarts** but we never asked her; we waited for her to open up and tell us what she was comfortable with. I knew **she never told me everything** and I got jealous a lot from childish causes but she never looked at me differently. For her, I wasn’t a Black or a deception to a pure blooded family; **I was just Sirius and she was just Ophelia and I was happy with that.”**  
  
Now that she knew the truth, those words made so much more sense than back then. He knew, one way or another he found out. Regulus probably told him everything that's happened and the fight that ensued between Ophelia and Voldemort.

_“My younger brother was much more than what this room shows you.” Sirius added as he walked inside, stopping right behind her and looking at the picture above the desk. “So much more,” He trailed in a melancholic trance._

_“Ophelia took good care of Regulus during our school years. She was more like a sister than I was a brother to him.” He started, placing his hands on her shoulders in a fatherly way, “She had a certain talent for understanding Slytherins and would often take their side against us. I couldn’t understand why she was so protective of Regulus until he became a Death Eater.”_

Eliza closed her eyes and leaned back. Both Sirius and Remus knew Ophelia was Tom's daughter. Remus hid Eliza for her whole life and raised her as if she was his daughter. He always avoided talking about her dream and now she knew why. Eliza never saw Voldemort kill her mother and she never saw Bellatrix, Pettigrew, Crouch Jr and Malfoy when Ophelia died. It was a mix of what she believed had happened and Ophelia's memories.

* * *

Draco came back as often as Voldemort requested, using him as a puppet when he felt like torture. Draco didn't return to his room though and only transited between his house and Hogwarts. During the holidays he came back for real and he looked better, the color returned in his cheeks and he looked overly healthy.

His father, on the other hand, was in a far worse condition than before: he would skip meals and spend an awfully long time gone or in his office. Narcissa was truly worried for her husband but she also had Bellatrix to handle; besides, the manor was used as headquarters for the Death Eaters and Eliza avoided going downstairs.

Voldemort was pitching in from time to time but he seemed stressed about finding something. There was also the Harry Potter problem; the boy disappeared with his friends and the Order had no idea where they were.

Eliza spent an awfully long time in her room yet she would comply with the rules. For example she had to take breakfast, lunch and dinner with the rest, feeling their heavy gazes upon her. Her training with Bellatrix ended sometime along the way because she was needed for higher purposes, not that Eliza was complaining.

It just so happened that when Draco came home, Eliza felt that small sparkle of hope resurface in her heart. She cornered him in his room the night he arrived and stared at him expectantly.

"I told the Weasley girl that you are alive and well. She gave me a letter for you." He mumbled, getting the letter from his jacket and giving it to her.

Eliza snatched it instantly and opened it, sitting on his bed before reading the contents.

_Dear Liz,_

_I cannot express my relief right now. I am glad you haven't done anything inadequate that would get you killed, especially because Bellatrix is there. I met Draco Malfoy and might have been a little rough on him but I’m sure he understood._

_We have discussed this problem, Tonks and I, and we came to the conclusion that we should send you some help instead of barging like a pack of wolves. As for how you will escape, I will leave that to you and your loyal friend._

_Take care,  
Moony_

"Is he referring to me?" Draco asked, reading the letter over her shoulder.

Eliza smiled and glanced at Draco's trunk, "No. It's him." She pointed at his luggage, confusing him even more.

When his clothes shifted suddenly to the side, Draco realized he has been fooled. Right there, inside his trunk was hiding a familiar black cat with wide green eyes that seemed to know everything.

"Furvus," Eliza whispered, life coming back into her eyes at the sight of the black cat.

Draco stared at Furvus for a few minutes before he remembered he had seen him before.

"This cat led me to you a while ago. He was very persistent." He said, watching the black cat jump out of his trunk.

"I know. But he is smarter than he looks and a great secret agent, as it seems." She said happily.  Furvus jumped on her lap and purred before glancing at the blond.

"You'll have to hide him." Draco started but Eliza smirked and leaned a bit towards him, getting them close enough to give the impression that they were about to kiss.

"Not if you bought him for me." She whispered, her eyes tingling with mischievousness.

* * *

It was obvious she was feeling better and the presence of that cat was like a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. That was the main reason Draco accepted and told his mother of Eliza's Christmas gift.

"Aw, my dear son. He is adorable!"

Even Narcissa was fawning over Furvus and the cat loved attention.

"I wasn't aware you two were so close," Yaxley commented, narrowing his eyes at the black fur.

Eliza and Draco glanced at each other before she responded, "I believe it's a family tradition."

Lucius wasn't there so he couldn't agree or deny but Narcissa raised an eyebrow, her stare boring into the side of her son's head.

Before going into her room, Eliza spent a little more time in the corridor, Furvus trotting behind her like a noble, moving his tail from side to side elegantly. She entered the library out of reflex and went to her spot in front of the window.

Only five minutes passed before Draco entered and took his spot next to her.

"Your skill to find me anywhere I go is flattering." She said bemusedly. 

Draco rolled his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest, "Unfortunately. At least you know I will find you wherever you run off to."

Eliza blinked, those words sounding more like a promise than a threat. She looked at him, surprised that he was actually saying embarrassing things out loud.

Draco grabbed his wand and pointed it at the gramophone, soft music engulfing the room, the notes swirling in the air magically. She tilted her head to the side as Draco wrapped one hand around her waist and pulled her into his chest.

Eliza chuckled as they started dancing slowly, Draco's head leaning on her shoulder comfortably.

"You never cease to surprise do you?" She spoke softly for what felt like the first time in years.

"Blaise asked me about you. He was expecting to hear news of your death," Even the blond laughed at the memory of Zabini's grim face, "Your friendship was sudden." He added.

"He still believes we are friends? I suppose I inherited a soft spot for certain Slytherins."

Draco leaned back and danced while looking at her expectantly, "Well? Who are these honorable gentlemen?"

None could contain their bemused smiles spreading on their faces or the sudden glint in their eyes.

"Blaise is the only one." She answered, the tips of her fingers sparkling on Draco's shoulder.

"I thought you said you inherited this soft spot. I don't remember a Zabini in the tale of Ophelia and the Three Slytherins." Draco entered her game, playing like he they haven't strongly disliked each other before. 

Her eyes widened slightly and narrowed at the same time, making her look like a human version of Furvus.

Eliza stopped dancing and looked at him, noticing how much the years have passed by and how many things changed. Eliza was aware Draco was genuinely handsome and playful and he was probably the one guy a mother would vehemently refuse. Yet, there was something about him, an innocence that not even the Dark Mark could overpower.

Draco Malfoy was not a Death Eater and he has never been one. He was too scared and too obedient but that was how he was raised. The blond has grown up and became so much like his father yet so different. Eliza started to appreciate the differences between Lucius and Draco when she woke up one day in the Hospital Wing and he came when she called his name out. That left a mark on Eliza and that dislike she had for him increased and decreased clockwise.

Maybe Draco was going to leave and abandon her as soon as the war was over but maybe he wouldn't.

With that thought in her mind and music literally swirling around them, that dance was a moment to remember.


	47. Animagus

The next morning, Eliza woke up feeling her face wet. The witch groaned and rubbed her eyes, head turning to the person sleeping peacefully next to her in his black silk pyijamas. His hair was sticking up everywhere on the pillow and his body was only half covered, his chest moving up and down as he was breathing in his sleep. It was one of the times he looked peaceful, just like when she held his hand in the hospital.

Furvus was being impatient and she had to gave in eventually. As small as he was, Furvus was peculiar and had humane tics and quite a lot of strength for a cat. He had something wrapped around his right leg, something that looked old and dirty. Eliza got rid of the rope –because it was rope- from his leg and placed the book on her lap.

“What is that?”

Draco took a peek if she was sleeping or not but fully woke up when he saw the book on her lap. He groaned and leaned against the mattress, acting nonchalantly.

She smirked and turned to him with a new glint in her eyes, “I think I know how I can escape.”

* * *

“Are you sure this is possible? We haven't reached that level in Transfiguration yet.” Draco muttered for the millionth time, watching closely as she copied the ingredients on a piece of parchment with invisible ink.

“I need you to buy me some stuff since I can’t get out.” She started, placing the parchment in his palm, “If you have any question as to where to find them, ask Mildred.”

Draco frowned, “The house elf?”

Eliza nodded and returned to her book, preparing herself for the big project, “Let’s see,  _it takes skill, practice, and patience for wizards and witches to become Animagi. The process of becoming an Animagus is long and arduous, and has the potential to backfire and cause the transformation to go horribly wrong._  That’s not very encouraging, is it?” She mumbled, feeling her mind getting foggy.

Being an animagus was the only way to get out of the manor; there was no going back once she would start practicing and once Draco would come with the leaf and Polyjuice ingredients, it was definite.

* * *

It was only an hour later when the blond returned to her room and found her sitting on the bed, staring at Furvus while he was glaring at her. It looked like they were going to fight yet at the same time she looked ready to skin her pet with scissors.

“What are you doing?” He sneered, not understanding how his heart was beating for a person whose personality was the vaguest thing he has ever seen.

She was in a desperate state just a few days ago and now she was so lively; suspiciously so.

“I need to take a piece of his hair but he’s not very cooperative,” Eliza mumbled, launching at her cat, squishing the poor pet under her, “Such a strange cat. Come on Furvus, you are the one who’s always wanted me to become an animagus.” She continued to mutter as she grabbed his tail and cutting a few strands of black fur.

Draco placed the ingredients on the desk before sitting on the bed, next to her. The cat jolted out of her grasp as soon as she moved and hid under the bed. 

“There is some kind of sadistic urge inside of you, isn't it?” Draco mumbled, seeing the same glint in those icy eyes that have been threatening him.

Eliza’s head turned to him in surprise yet she wasn’t –or at least didn’t seem- surprised by that statement.

“That may be true but I plan to keep that side of me locked away.”

Draco was ready to question her more, especially now that he knew for sure that half of her blood was Voldemort’s but someone jumped on his leg. Furvus’ eyes were staring up at the blond as if he was advising him to shut up.

* * *

For the rest of the break, Eliza locked herself in her room, only letting Draco in from time to time in order to have a second wizard check out the potion. As it has been proven, Eliza was exceeding at that particular subject in school and Malfoy wasn’t surprised when the color and smell were exactly the same as in the book.

From the moment Eliza begun the potion, she started to go around with a mandrake leaf in her mouth and it was slightly uncomfortable, especially because she had to take dinner with the rest of the Malfoys and it was hard to eat.

Lucius Malfoy was there most of the time and the Death Eaters were having a wonderful time in the Malfoy Manor, bringing despair in every corner of the house. The house elves were horrified and Mildred would often hide in Eliza’s room, scared that someone might enter and kill her for existing.

“Mildred is not sure it will work, miss.” The house elf muttered shyly from her spot in front of the dresser- if the door would open, she’d quickly hide behind the door or in one of the drawers.

Eliza’s eyes were set on the cauldron hid under the bed, patiently waiting for the month to pass and add the last ingredients before performing the spell.

“It will work.”

* * *

When the month finally passed, Draco didn’t return to Hogwarts but spent a lot of time in the living room with his father. 

Eliza’s strange behavior didn’t go unnoticed by the rest, especially Bellatrix who couldn't turn a blind eye to someone connected to her deception of a cousin.

That was why Bellatrix cornered Eliza when she walked out of her room.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

The older woman tried to take a glimpse of what was behind that black door but Eliza was being a good shield. Those crazed wide eyes snapped to Eliza’s face and narrowed. 

“You won’t be able to hide it forever, no matter what that is.” Bellatrix hissed, leaning uncomfortably close to her.

“I doubt that.”

Bellatrix started to laugh out of nowhere before she suddenly grabbed the young witch by her chin harshly, “The Dark Lord will hear about this tomorrow and you won’t be able to resist him. He will find out what happens behind this door one way or another.”

Eliza swallowed nervously yet kept a straight face so Bellatrix wouldn’t figure what she was thinking. As soon as her aunt left, Eliza entered her room and threw aside anything she wanted to do that day. She pulled the cauldron out and added the strands of black fur. There was something else needed, something that would bind her to the animal so she bit her finger and let the blood drip in the potion. Eliza took a deep breath in before she closed her eyes and drunk the little cauldron to the bottom, even if the taste was horrific. As soon as that was done, she started to munch on the leaf and say the spell in her head. In those moments, she was glad she had her mother’s talent.

The effects came right away. She cringed in pain that was coming from her toes and crawling up her legs, through her bones and muscles. As the spell was continuing she gulped and gritted her teeth hoping it would cease the pain somehow. It didn’t, it only amplified and by the time she was done, Eliza started to scream in pain drawing attention to her room. She could barely see because whatever was happening to her was also affecting her eyesight. Since the screams were getting louder, she jumped on the bed and hid her face in the pillow, biting onto it as if her life was depending on it.

With her eyes closed and body aching everywhere, she felt slight differences like the way she suddenly shrunk and her fingers became sharp and fuzzy.

Draco was only passing by to check on her but when he opened the door he found one black cat staring at another black cat. He couldn’t believe it actually worked, moreover that it worked so fast and accurate; maybe Eliza was gifted into the dark arts but that was still impressive.

The blond walked closer, warily as not to scare Eliza. He sat down in front of her and caressed her back softly, the cat purring at the sensation without really realizing.

Furvus jumped on the bed and patted Eliza’s head, <Wake up, it worked!>

Eliza didn’t know that soft voice so she quickly opened her eyes and scanned the place. Firstly, everything was bigger and clearer; she looked down at her hands and saw small cute paws.

<I’m a cat> That was what she said, turning to Draco who was staring at her with bemusement, <I can’t believe it! It hurts everywhere but it actually worked!> She exclaimed, getting up a bit hard since she wasn’t used to the new aspects of walking and sitting.

The only thing Draco could hear was meowing and it was so cute that it amazed him. As a cat, Eliza looked pretty much like a gentler and more elegant version of Furvus, with the same big green eyes that would melt hearts. She raised her paws at Draco, expecting him to take her in his arms and pat her head; she really wanted to be rubbed under the chin for some reason.

Draco chuckled and grabbed her in his arms, letting her get comfortable before rubbing her head fondly.

<You’re making me sick. Please, take all the action somewhere I can’t watch.> The new voice complained.

Eliza’s head raised and turned to Furvus who was covering his eyes with his paws.

<I can hear you. I actually understand you!> She realized, her eyes widening. Eliza jumped on the bed and hissed at Furvus, <You have so much explaining to do!>

Furvus blinked and scrunched his nose, <I am a mere cat. You are the animagus here, granted to your beloved loyal pet.>

Eliza snarled which actually sounded weird in her small form, <This beloved loyal pet is a member of the Order; a messenger.>

<Not by choice but by needs. Why do you think Remus bought me in the first place? Just to be your pet?>

Eliza sighed and intended to rub her head but realized she couldn’t, <So he did send you on errands; lots of them. What else?>

<Your father wanted you to have this book because he knew you will need it in the future and you did.>

<What about you? What’s special about you? Why are you so smart and have human tendencies?> Eliza asked, walking closer, her eyes scanning Furvus’ form.

<Circumstances> He responded bluntly, his eyes staring into hers, <It’s so strange how much we look alike, though> He continued, eyeing her form from the corner of his eyes.  
  
<I am a black cat> She repeated, the information of her animagus form still sinking in, <I was afraid this form will be the same as my Patronus but that’s impossible since I am not a werewolf. That article I read was bullocks.> She started to ramble by herself, turning into circles before sitting in one comfortable place.

Furvus scoffed, which in Draco’s point of view sounded like he sneezed, <It usually resembles your Patronus but that’s why you violated my privacy and cut some of my fur, isn’t it? You wanted to be sure.>

It was interesting as an outsider to watch two cats speak to each other even if it sounded like they were meowing for food in different pitches. However, the Dark Lord was expected to arrive in an hour and Eliza had to come back to her human form as soon as possible.

<The human is staring at you. He probably wants you to go back to your normal form> Furvus informed her since he was the one having eye contact with Draco.

<What for? This feels nice~> She mumbled, feeling like her worries could just go away in that form.

Furvus snarled and hit Eliza in the head, <Don’t be stupid! The villain is right around the corner and I’m sure that crazed woman will tell him that something suspicious is going on in your room!>

Eliza pouted and sighed, closing her eyes and thinking of how she looked as a human, hoping that would be enough for her to turn back to normal. It did work but it was even more painful to feel bones and muscles shift and enlarge, especially her heart which was beating differently as a human than a cat.

Draco witnessed the witch change right in front of him and he couldn’t utter a word as Eliza’s body formed without any clothes. She was naked on the bed and she didn’t look fazed about it. Once the pain faded, she got up and ran into the bathroom, staring at her face for some differences.

“I’m naked,” She noticed and remembered Draco watched closely as she morphed into a woman.  
  
Except that, she didn’t look different and didn’t have any signs on her body; her green eyes were the same, only slightly elongated.

“Do you need these?” Draco’s asked sarcastically, leaning against the door frame with her clothes in his hands.

Eliza scoffed and snatched the clothes before closing the door in his face.


	48. Prisoners

Voldemort came back earlier than they expected and Bellatrix found it fundamental to interfere and speak about Eliza.  
  
“My Lord, it seems that your precious relative is feeling unwell.” She started, her eyes faking worry.  
  
“Is it so? Is Eliza not treated well?” He breathed out, his eyes trailing over every Death Eater in the room before falling on Lucius.  
  
The blond man was startled how the blame dropped on him, “My-My Lord I can assure you that Eliza has been treated with utmost care.” He stuttered nervously under the heavy gaze of the Dark Lord.  
  
“Then where is she?!” The pale snake screamed.  
  
“In her room, my Lord,” Lucius responded, glancing at his wife from the corner of his eye. 

Draco has been spending an awfully lot time with her lately and both of them were scared that he might have gotten involved into some kind of ploy.

Voldemort spun around and went straight into the corridor leading to Eliza’s room.

From her spot around the door to the kitchen, Mildred saw and heard everything. She ran quickly to announce the youngsters, finding the two making some kind of map on the wall.

“The Dark Lord is coming.” She whispered. 

Eliza grabbed Draco’s wand and hid everything they wrote and drawn on the wall.

Mildred had something else she wanted to say but she decided to keep that for later.

* * *

The sight Voldemort met when he barged in was ordinary. Eliza and Draco were standing on the bed while the room seemed empty. He opened the door wider, poor Mildred getting squished in that hidden corner. Furvus was under the bed, backing up until his back hit the wall.

“What exactly are you doing here?” Bellatrix asked, her smug smirk cracking around the corners.

Eliza raised an eyebrow and moved closer to Draco, knowing that Voldemort would catch that movement quickly. Her hand was very close to Draco’s and she was doing everything so she could give the impression that they have been caught. Draco was shuddering next to her, scared of how the Dark Lord would react.

Voldemort’s eyes moved from Eliza to the blond and stared at him with those icy eyes before a smirk spread on his lips, terrifying the boy.

“I see now,” He slurred, “Lucius, I believe your son has been spending quite some time with Eliza. We both know what that can lead to, oh the youth...” He chuckled, his eyes glinting with bemusement as the rest of the Death Eaters followed their master’s actions.  
  
Eliza glanced at Draco and nodded before turning her attention on the rest. Bellatrix looked very disappointed.  
  
“I see now what you mean, Bella,” Voldemort continued, “What better candidate for my lovely Eliza if not Draco.“ He was suspiciously content with Draco and it startled the blond and his parents.  
  
“Then you should leave us to get better acquainted.” Eliza responded in that witty manner of hers.

* * *

As soon as they left, Eliza sighed in relief and rubbed her neck. Draco leaned back, his heart still beating very fast and his body shuddering slightly at the memory of that terrible man.  
  
“I thought he was going to kill me.” He mumbled, his energy drained from his body.

“He won't kill anyone that's precious to me. He won't make the same mistake twice.”

“M-Miss, there is something else,” Mildred whispered, afraid that someone might be outside the door, eavesdropping, “Mildred has been instructed to leave food in front of the basement door. Mildred thinks someone has been brought and is kept inside.” She added, fidgeting nervously.  
  
Eliza frowned and turned to Draco, her mind already thinking of a second plan. He could already see it in the way her eyes were darkening; she was definitely going to push him towards the edge of the cliff.

* * *

“You’re trying to kill us?” He hissed, leaning as close as possible to the wall.  
  
They sneaked out during the night and walked down to the basement. Pettigrew was there, guarding the door with his life which only meant someone was indeed down there.  
  
Eliza glanced at Pettigrew before she turned to Draco.

“Follow the plan. I will transform into a cat and sneak in. You have to keep Pettigrew busy,” She whispered, emphasizing what was most important.

Draco rolled his eyes, “How do you expect me to keep him busy?"  
  
Eliza shrugged and patted his shoulder as encouragement, “Be creative,” She said before scrunching into a black cat.  
  
With a heavy sigh, the blond prepared himself mentally before going around the corner towards Pettigrew. The old man saw him coming and froze, Draco’s scowl looking extremely worrying.  
  
“I-Is there something wrong?” He stuttered, his whole appearance making Draco want to turn around and leave. 

The blond noticed from the corner of his eye that Eliza was already hiding in the shadows, silently coming closer to the door and remembered the last discussion he had with his father.

“It’s been brought to my attention that you have met the Dark Lord’s daughter as well. Is that right?” Draco started, curious what Pettigrew knew about that woman.  
  
The rat fidgeted and nodded, “Only slightly. She was a person with many secrets and suffered torture for befriending us.”  
  
Draco frowned, “She was a traitor,”  
  
Pettigrew looked down and shifted uncomfortably, “Ah, well... She knew every plan, every move of the Order but never once gave them away. She was a loyal friend. It was unfortunate she died."  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow and took one step closer, “You speak so fondly of her but you ended up being the rat.”  
  
Pettigrew’s eyes widened, lowering to the ground as he remembered what he has done to his friends.   
  
“I couldn’t be like them, brave and ready to risk my life. When the opportunity arose, I couldn’t think of anything but my salvation.”  
  
“What about their salvation? You cannot possibly give out your friends and then live peacefully.” The blond sneered, thinking about Eliza.

Draco couldn’t care less for Harry Potter and those strange friends of his but Draco found his heart beating excitedly every time he was thinking of Eliza.

* * *

On the other side, Eliza was already descending the stairs to satisfy her curiosity. She sneaked through the bars and looked around, her night vision being extremely useful.  
  
“Who’s there?”  
  
Her ears perked in the direction she heard the noise coming from. She walked further and saw a flicker of light somewhere to her right.  
  
Once she turned the corner, she saw Ollivander’s form, looking like he has been in there for some time already. His eyes narrowed as he moved around to catch glimpse of who was in front of him.  
  
“If Voldemort finds the wand then all hope will be lost.” Mr.Ollivander whispered, frowning at his own words.  
  
Eliza frowned and turned around, ready to leave the cellar when the door suddenly opened.  
  
“Get in here, wench!” She could recognize that voice anywhere as Bellatrix’s.  
  
The woman threw someone inside and locked the door before walking up the stairs. As soon as she heard the door closing upstairs, Eliza froze.  
  
“Luna, why did they bring you in here?” Ollivander asked the blonde girl he once gave the first wand to.  
  
Eliza’s head snapped towards them and saw the same Ravenclaw girl she had seen around Harry and the others. She didn’t look well and didn’t completely comprehend where she was but Eliza had some other issues at the moment. 

The cat sneaked out and ascended the stairs, tilting her head to the side, waiting patiently for some kind of divine help. Her eyes widened when the door actually opened a bit, offering her enough space to get out and glance at her savior.

“You almost got me in big trouble.” Draco hissed as he snatched her in his arms and hurried out of there.

* * *

Once inside the room, Eliza walked into the bathroom and changed back. She dressed quickly and used her wand to get the house plan back on the wall, her eyes scanning it thoughtfully.  
  
“Ollivander and newly brought Luna Lovegood,” She started, “What do they have in common? And what exactly is that cell they are in?”  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow and walked behind her, “This room is completely escape-proof and has no light; only house-elves can bypass the room's securities.” Draco explained, curious what she wanted to do.  
  
But Eliza wasn’t planning on getting them out, not when it was so hard to keep up the act in front of Voldemort.

“He was talking about a wand. Ollivander was worried that if Voldemort finds it then all hope will be lost.”

Draco hummed and licked his lips, rubbing his neck as he thought of what could that possibly mean

“Wands are Ollivander’s specialty but why would Voldemort need Lovegood?”

Eliza nodded along, feeling like there was something she was missing on, “But what wand? What’s so special about that wand?”  
  
Draco glanced at her before he glanced at the bed, remembering an old story from when he was a child.

“There is a children story about three highly powerful magical artifacts and one of them was a wand.”

Eliza raised an eyebrow, hardly containing her bemusement, “I can’t imagine Lucius telling you bed time stories, no matter how hard I try.”  
  
“He didn’t,” Draco interfered, his face suspiciously serious, “My mother did. These stories were supposed to be about characteristics that weren’t exactly intended for pure blooded wizards, as my father said."  
  
“And?” She urged him to continue since he would rarely talk about himself or his childhood.  
  
“And nothing. I can’t remember it well.”  
  
Eliza clicked her tongue and got an idea, “In the morning we should pay him a visit then. I’m sure after all this time, he might tell you a story.” 

She chuckled, already imagining the whole scenario but Draco didn’t seem excited at all.

* * *

“Why do you want to know something like that?” Lucius sneered when Eliza and Draco barged in his study the next morning.  
  
“Because I’m getting very interested in it and Remus never told me any bed time stories.” She bluntly admitted.   
  
Lucius’s eyes trailed over his son’s poker face, glaring slightly before he turned to Eliza’s wide green eyes, “What makes you believe I know such stories?”  
  
She tried not to scoff but it sounded like a snort, “I’m sure you had parents that loved you at some point and told you a story or two, especially one involving a wand.”  
  
“The Tale of the Three Brothers,” He grunted, looking at them from behind his desk, his expression being very smug for someone who didn’t even have time to shave lately and was scared for his life, “The story revolves around three wizard brothers who once conquered death for a short time by defeating a deadly obstacle with their magic. The personification of Death appeared out of anger because he felt that they had cheated him, but pretended to congratulate them by awarding them gifts of their choosing: The Elder Wand, The Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak. Two of the three brothers wished to conquer Death beyond what they had done already, and foolishly chose their gifts accordingly, leading to their early demise. The third brother was wiser, and hid under the Invisibility Cloak that allowed him to postpone death until he was ready; he lifted the veil that had helped him to evade the afterlife and was welcomed by Death,” He finished, not once sounding like he enjoyed it.  
  
But Eliza already found out what she wanted, “The Elderly Wand, is it real?”  
  
Lucius’ eyes narrowed at her and got up suddenly, startling the youngsters, “What exactly is your purpose? I’m sure you didn’t hurry here just to listen to a stupid children story,” He continued, walking around the desk and coming behind his son. Lucius placed his hands on Draco’s shoulders and squeezed harshly.  
  
“Harry has the invisibility cloak, doesn’t he? I recall he told me he used it several times while sneaking out of the castle. It’s the same as the one in the story?”  
  
Lucius squeezed Draco’s shoulders even harder, the blond cringing under his grasp, “Would it matter?”

Eliza scoffed and got up, glaring at the man with venom in her eyes, “Yes, it matters. Where is the Elder Wand right now?” She snarled, her tone getting higher as she lashed at him.

Lucius let go of Draco and hurried to her, grabbing her arm and forcing her closer, “You better not get involved or all my efforts to keep you alive will have been for nothing.”

She laughed in his face, surprising both Malfoys with the changes in her behavior.

“Efforts? The only effort you did was to keep your precious life not mine. Let’s be realistic, Lucius, you befriended mom just so she could protect you from Voldemort.”

Draco got up just in time to stop his father from slapping his crush. Eliza’s eyes hardened and looked up at the man with so much anger and hatred that it looked like she was cursing him in her head.  
  
“You’re wrong,” He hissed, shoving his son away, “I loved your mother more than you will ever imagine. You have no idea how much I suffered because of her little adventures with Black and Potter.” He spat in hatred and left the room.  
  
Draco turned to her and sighed, knowing he will get a lecture later on.  
  
“You got him mad,” He breathed out, falling back on the chair.  
  
“Voldemort is looking for the Elderly Wand so the story is true. That means sooner or later, the opportunity to leave this place will arrive."  
  
“Why are you so sure about that?” He scowled at her sudden positivism.  
  
Eliza chuckled and hit him playfully on the leg, “Luna Lovegood. She is my solution and she got here just in time.”

* * *

The solution didn’t seem to help much during the next few weeks because no one really came to the rescue. Eliza’s mood dropped after every event-less Sunday and Voldemort didn’t come around anymore. Draco was spending more and more time away from her and she was sure it was at his mother’s advice.  
  
Lucius calmed down after a few days but still glared at her every time they would meet in the dining room or in the corridors.  
  
One day changed everything, though; one day that started as common made the difference by nightfall. The noise downstairs was annoying and Furvus was impatient for some reason so Eliza walked downstairs, hoping she could catch a glimpse of what was going on. 

Her eyes widened and she hid around the corner when she saw Bellatrix hovering over a girl with bushy brown hair. Eliza recognized the victim straight away.

“Hemione,” Eliza whispered.  
  
One cold hand touched her shoulder, surprising her.

“Potter and Weasley are downstairs, in the cellar.” He stopped before he leaned in. "Greyback brought them here. He also brought a goblin and one of your Gryffindor friends." 

“How did they not recognize Harry?" She whispered, careful to remain hidden.

Draco sighed, sending a chill down her spine, “His face was messed up and they called me to identify him.”  
  
“And you lied even if you recognized him?” She trailed, feeling a light smile playing on her lips.

He tightened his grasp on her shoulder 

“Obviously,” The blond sneered, not admitting why he did it.

Eliza turned around and smiled softly at the blond, pecking him sweetly on the cheek before hugging him and transforming into a black cat, her clothes left for him to gather.

* * *

Black cat Eliza sneaked around the wall and kept close to the dark corners until she got across the room, having a perfect sight of Hermione. It was heart wrenching to hear a friend scream in pain.  
  
“That sword is meant to be in my vault at Gringotts. How did you get it?! What else did you and your friends take from my vault?! ”Bellatrix screamed but Hermione was a sobbing mess.  
  
“I didn't take anything! Please! I didn't take anything. It's a fake!” Poor Hermione cried out in fear.  
  
“I don't believe it,” The crazed dark wizard scowled. Hermione’s screams filled the whole hall.

Since Hermione wasn’t saying anything that would please Bellatrix, they got another idea. They sent for the goblin to come and give them some answers.

“I'm only going to ask you once more, goblin. Think very, very carefully before you answer,” The crazed witch said, pacing around the goblin threateningly. "Is this the real Gryffindor sword?"  
  
“No. It's a fake.” He answered, standing there like a statue.

"Are you sure? Quite sure?" 

"Yes." The goblin repeated.

Bellatrix's face relaxed, "Good. Now we call the Dark Lord!" 

She pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark. 

Eliza swallowed nervously and leaned forward.   
  
“I think we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her." Belatrix started, grasping her wand while walking closer to Hermione.  
  
Surprisingly, Ron interfered, disarming Bellatrix. Harry followed his friend, using the stupefy charm against Lucius, throwing him into the wall. While Narcissa, Draco and Greyback aimed their wands at Harry, Bellatrix grabbed the young witch and held her silver knife at Hermione's throat.

"Drop your wands! Drop them or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!" 

Eliza frowned but couldn't move. She glanced ahead and noticed Furvus watching everything from around the chimney. She took a deep breath and prepared both physically and mentally to run. 

Now that Harry was in the picture, it was troublesome. Eliza was sure once she was out, there was no way back to Draco. That was the only flaw in the plan.

Out of reflex, Eliza sneaked closer to Bellatrix. She screamed something else but it was hard to understand with everything happening at once.

A squeaking sound came from above them and Eliza looked up to see an elf hanging off a shaky chandelier. In one moment, Eliza felt the danger and moved aside through Draco's legs. That diversion was enough. Ron pulled Hermione to him and Harry grabbed the goblin. Narcissa pushed her son aside and Eliza glanced one last time at the blond before she ran and attached herself to the goblin.

“What-“ He tried to shake her off his leg but she wasn’t budging.  
  
Harry grabbed Dobby the house elf last and Disapparated.  
  
Eliza escaped the Malfoy Manor after half a year. She was out and she could feel a wave of relief engulf her whole body. Eliza was finally free and she was with Harry.


	49. Help

Eliza didn't expect her release to be followed by the end of an innocent loyal life. As soon as she got off the goblin she saw Harry run towards Dobby. She saw the elf fall in Harry's arms and turned her back. That elf did more than a lot of wizards and he didn't deserve to die.

While walking towards the cottage a few meters away, Eliza couldn't help but wonder how bad Voldemort reacted when he returned to the mansion. Harry escaped, the prisoners got rescued and his niece was gone. She shuddered when she imagined Draco suffering. 

Eliza sneaked inside easily. Dean opened the door, holding the goblin in his arms. He noticed the black cat and tensed

On the other side of the door was Fleur; the same blonde Eliza saw at the Triwizard Tournament, the same who married Bill Weasley. If she was there then it meant the cottage was their house

Once Dean gave the goblin into Fleur's care, he turned to her and grabbed her in his arms.

"Furvus?" He asked, worry flashing through his eyes. "Do you know where Eliza is?"

The cat nodded, watching him with wide green eyes. Dean sighed and placed the cat on an armchair. 

Ron walked down the stairs, looking disheveled. He did go through one of the most terrifying adventures of his life and survived a meet with Bellatrix. 

The ginger noticed the cat too and he looked even more worried than Dean.

"This is Eliza’s cat!” He exclaimed, grabbing Fleur's attention. 

"Do you- do you think she's alive?" Asked a very scared Dean. He could hardly imagine someone so witty getting away from the Death Eaters.

Ron frowned, still comprehending what happened in the Malfoy Manor, “Does that mean Eliza was inside the manor?”

Hermione followed down the stairs, her eyes widening at the sight of the black cat, "Is that Furvus?”  
  
The black cat was glancing from one human to the other, feeling like she should transform back.

"Blimey, we left her there. We should go back,” Ron started before shaking his head, “No, we can’t go back. I can’t go through that a second time.” He changed his mind pretty fast.

Hermione sighed and took the cat in her arms. 

* * *

With Dobby’s death, Harry seemed even more brooding than before.

Eliza looked down at the fish they placed on a plate and gave it to her to eat but she couldn't even smell it. The cat meowed and ran to Fleur. 

Fleur smiled at the cat but the cat narrowed her eyes and hissed, tugging on Fleur’s pants.

“Zis cat behaves peculiarly.” She started in that thick French accent of hers.

Hermione glanced at the cat before looking at Ron, “It is weirder than I remember."

“Do you think she’s alive?” Ron whispered, getting a hit from Hermione.

“Of course she is, Ron.” She scoffed.

“She wasn’t in the cellar,” Luna added, knowing that she hasn’t seen the brunette witch in a very long time, “Is it possible she was kept in a different room?”

Hermione glanced at the black cat before sighing heavily, “She’s been missing for so long. I hope they didn’t kill her.”

Eliza was listening to her friends mourn while she was licking her paw, feeling surprisingly joyful. Her eyes wandered around the cottage and noticed the covers over the love seat. With one quick jump and a few more silent steps, the black cat hid under the covers and closed her eyes.

“Just imagine what Lupin would do if she’d be killed.” Hermione continued.

“Remus knows I’m alive. He sent Furvus to help me.”

The sudden familiar voice shocked everyone. Hermione and Ron got up and looked around, searching for the source. Eliza’s messy hair quirked from under the covers, trying her best to keep her naked body hidden, especially since Bill Weasley entered the room.

“You, blimey, how did you-but-“ Ron was as speechless as the rest yet he tried to convey his amazement into stutters.

On the other side, Luna didn’t have any problem with showing her happiness, jumping over Eliza and hugging her tightly.

“We thought- we didn’t know what to think! The last time anyone saw you was in Hogwarts when-when Snape snatched you away." Hermione continued.

Dean took Luna's place and hugged his friend tightly, trying not to shift the cover off her. 

"You have no idea how worried everyone was. Seamus was going crazy after they told us Snape got you." He whispered.

Eliza smiled and nodded. She missed the warmth of genuine friendship.

* * *

Fleur gave Eliza some of her clothes and the whole discussion moved in the kitchen. Harry was outside and Eliza was thinking what to tell him when he'll get back. He was still mourning the death of the elf and he probably had his own issues to resolve.

“Where have you been all this time?” Hermione asked.

“The Malfoy Manor.” 

Hermione frowned, “But if you weren’t in the cellar, then where did they keep you?”

“I wasn’t exactly a prisoner. They enchanted the house so I wouldn't be able to leave but I was free to go around. I realized I could escape only if I was completely changed."

“An animagus; that’s how the enchantment wouldn’t catch you leaving. But why did you wait for so long?” Bill Weasley was suspiciously on point with his questions.

“For a while I just hid. I was standing in front of the man that knew my mother the best and I wanted answers.” Her green eyes softened, remembering what she found out. "Then, Furvus came along and he brought the book with him. I became an animagus and waited for the chance to flee."

“What did you find out about your mother?”

Eliza looked down at her lap with a frown.

"Everything I know about myself is a lie. It's been an illusion I created when I was young. Ophelia wasn't a coward but she wasn't a hero either. She left her responsibilities on my back."Eliza mumbled, feeling ashamed and disappointed.

Ron was ready to interfere when Hermione squeezed his hand, “What do you mean?” The bushy haired girl asked calmly.

“We should wait for Harry to come inside. I want him to hear this too." 

Luckily, Harry came back a few minutes later. His eyes widened when he saw her and he hugged her tightly. Eliza was the only remain of his godfather, of a family that was snatched from him.

“I thought you died,” He mumbled, his hands still wrapped tightly around her.

“He's my grandfather, Harry." She said, feeling the tears spill uncontrollably. "Tom Marvolo Riddle is my grandfather."  

Harry’s eyes widened, his reaction mirrored by the rest, “What?”

It was a shock to see blunt witty Eliza cry. The mask she struggled to keep all this time just fell apart. She was human too, a girl and a victim just like the rest. 

She rubbed her eyes before continuing, “My mother is his daughter. That's why I am so good in Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts and that's why the Ministry doesn't know I exist. Mom was supposed to become a horcrux but she ran away. She left her memories in me and placed an enchantment over my mind. If I reach them, I lose my mind." She continued, still crying.

Ron tilted his head to the side, his mouth slightly open, his whole expression being a bit silly, “Well, that was unexpected.” He muttered, getting a hit in the ribs from Hermione.

“Why-Why are you telling me this?” Harry asked, leaning towards his friend.

Eliza stared at him, those eyes feeling like they were trying to reach deep inside Harry’s soul, “Because he knows I will always choose you over him, just like my mother chose Sirius. He tried to get into my head, he searched for those memories because he knows Ophelia found something he needed."

“He's angry. He's been thinking of killing you several times." Harry mumbled, scratching his scar. From the moment he saw her, he felt both happiness but also wave of anger and disappointment. 

Eliza noted the way he'd always rub his forehead and nodded, “Yes. I believe that’s why he trapped me inside the manor. If I was going to give him access to my mind he could kill me and hide his past once again.”

Harry jumped on his feet, everyone else watching as he walked closer to her, those eyes of his earnestly looking at her.

“Liz, you haven't done anything wrong. I know you and I know you are different from him and the likes of him. I trust you.” He said, feeling worse for not informing her about stuff that Dumbledore wanted hidden from her. 

"How can you say that so easily when you know the true?" She asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes again. "I'm a monster. My family's been influenced by this monster and even now, he won't let me go. He will kill me one way or another."

Harry watched her break down in front of him, in front of everyone. She was crying, mumbling about her mother and Voldemort. Dean wrapped his arms around her and helped her upstairs but Harry knew Eliza had high chances to end up like her mother .

* * *

A few hours later, Harry walked upstairs to speak with the goblin and Ollivander. Eliza slept for the whole time, so deep that Hermione was curious if something happened to her. 

The next morning, Eliza felt brand new. She walked downstairs with lighter steps and a lighter heart. Fleur and Bill were already in the kitchen, talking when she entered.

"I'm-um- sorry for what happened yesterday." She apologized, looking anywhere but their faces.

"It's alright. You must have bottled everything in for a long time." Bill comforted her with half a smile.

Eliza nodded and took a seat. The rest followed shortly and Dean sat next to her, smiling. 

"What happened while you were locked away?" He asked, drawing everyone's attention. 

"Well, Vol-" Several people sat up and tensed.

"Don't say his name. It's taboo now. Death Eaters will come wherever his name is spoken." Ron hissed, ready to lounge and cover her mouth if he had to.

Eliza frowned, "Well, Tom found it necessary to awaken the dark wizard inside me. He ordered Bellatrix to train me in the Dark Arts and she's done it to the point it became torture. But aside that, he wasn't around much."

That piqued Harry's curiosity as he leaned in, "What do you mean? Was he searching for something?"

Eliza stared at Harry for a few minutes before she smirked, "Yes. He's been searching for something very important and powerful. He wants to beat Death." 

The way she spoke about it, the glasses boy understood she knew. He glanced at Hermione and Ron, both having the same bewildered expression. Eliza found out about the Hallows one way or another and matched pieces on her own.

"What about you? What have you done these months?"

"Hiding. Dumbledore left me, Hermione and Ron a mission and we've been trying to figure it out." He explained as vaguely as possible. 

Bill Weasley furrowed his eyebrows, glancing between Eliza and Harry. He could see nothing but understanding on her face so he was curious if she knew what that mission was. The trio refused to share but Eliza looked like she didn't want to know further details about it. 

* * *

For the next days, it seemed like everything Eliza's been through was just a dream. Harry's scar stung a few more times but he didn't tell her what he saw. 

"How was Hogwarts when you left?" Eliza asked Luna while they were walking around, searching for some type of shells Luna wanted.  

"Not very good. Professor Snape became Headmaster and the Carrow siblings were torturing students. But everyone is fine." Luna responded, smiling towards the end. 

Eliza frowned. She was sure nothing was fine, "Who are the Carrow siblings?"

"Amycus Carrow took Snape's place as professor of Defense against the Dark Arts and his sister Alecto took professor Burbage's place in Muggle Studies." 

The brunette's frown deepened when she remembered what happened to Burbage. Snape was there and she pleaded for his help but he didn't even flinch. 

They walked around for a few more hours until they returned for dinner. The goblin was there as well and he looked grumpy for most of the time. 

Days passed with the trio whispering in between and stopping when someone walked around them. Harry didn't seem as secretive around Eliza, who told him absolutely everything she found out about her mother and her past. In exchange, she wanted him to keep it a secret from the rest, especially the DA members and the Order. 

"Only Remus knows and I'd prefer if it would stay a secret." 

Harry smiled softly and nodded. "How did you find out about, you know-"

"The Deathly Hallows? I overhead Mr. Ollivander say something about the Elderly Wand. Then, I asked Lucius Malfoy to tell me the story involving it." She explained.

Harry could barely contain his bemusement, "Lucius Malfoy told you a story?"

She chuckled and nodded before she remembered how scared he was. "Have you seen what happened after the incident?"

"He's angry. Very angry. Who knows what he did after we left." 

That put her in a sour mood for the next week. Eliza decided she wanted to change the bed she shared with Hermione for the armchair in the living room. She slept as a cat and got used to change with clothes on. Dean was amazed how fast she mastered being an animagus but didn't ask anything about her time in the manor. 

Mr. Ollivander left for Ron's aunt at the beginning of the next week and Bill came back with good news from the Weasleys. They were all in hiding and it broke Eliza's heart to know she could have done something to help them. 

"There was nothing you could have done. You-Know-Who would've known and killed you." Hermione said, trying to comfort her but Eliza lost the desire to treasure her life. 

"Have you heard of Potterwatch?" Dean asked later, avoiding Luna's peculiar stories. "It's a radio channel that keeps wizards up to date with what's happening in the world. They say it as it is, unlike others." 

"Oh. Well, that's good. I only had Draco as a connection to the outside world. I know for sure he told Ginny that I'm alive." 

Saying that to Hermione or Ron might have been a better idea because they already knew how complicated was her relationship with the blond. Dean was confused and curious and looked ready to lecture her.

"He's a Death Eater, Liz. He probably never approached Ginny and-" He stopped when he noticed her twitching eye. "Why would you trust him?"

"Because he's afraid." She responded coldly.

Dean shook his head disapprovingly and faced the fire. She could see him think about all the stuff happening around him yet he was being kept as far away as possible from the truth. 

"Have you heard that?" Harry asked, his head turning towards the door.

Everyone tensed and waited in silence for something to happen. Bill narrowed his eyes at the door, hearing steps coming closer to the cottage.

"Who's there?!" Bill asked, his hand wrapping around his wand.

“It is I, Remus John Lupin!” called a voice over the howling wind. “I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!”

Both Harry and Eliza felt a chill down their spines. On the other hand, Eliza couldn't wait for her godfather to enter. Lupin fell over the threshold. He was white-faced, wrapped in a traveling 439 cloak, his graying hair windswept. He straightened up, looked around the room, making sure of who was there, then cried aloud,

“It’s a boy! We’ve named him Ted, after Dora’s father!”

The joy of that announcement got everyone in high spirits. His eyes found Eliza and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. 

"You're an aunt, Liz. I'm glad you're here." He whispered in her hair. 

Eliza's joy increased when Bill urged Remus to stay and have a glass of wine. They toasted for little Teddy and Remus asked Harry to be his son's godfather. 

"M-me? Are you sure?" He asked, his eyes falling on Eliza's figure. 

“You, yes, of course—Dora quite agrees, no one better—”

"I-sure-yes, of course-" He was delighted but he couldn't help feel bad for Eliza. 

Remus stayed and told all he could about the newborn baby. He kept Eliza close, happy that sending Furvus helped her get out of the Malfoy manor. He left beaming and a bit tipsy and urged Eliza to come with him but she shook her head.

"It's better if I stay away from family. When they'll realize I'm gone, your place will be first to check. I don't want to endanger Tonks or the baby." She explained a few times until Remus finally accepted and left. 

"He asked me to be Teddy's godfather." Harry admitted later that night. The goblin retreated for the night but the rest were still celebrating.

"And?" Eliza asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think I'm mad?" She chuckled. 

Harry nodded, "Sirius left me everything and now Remus-"

"When you live for half a year with your crazy aunt and see death around every corner, you realize that it's better to avoid negative emotions. Besides, I'd like to keep everything that's important to me safe and the only way to do that is by standing alone." 

She was so sincere that Harry didn't know what to say.

"We're going to break into Gringotts." He blabbered in the spur of the moment. "We're searching for something important."

"The goblin accepted to help you?" She asked, lowering her voice since the little creature could be anywhere.

Harry's grimace was enough of a response. Goblins were sly creatures and had a very old dispute with wizards. 

* * *

On the other side, Furvus was running around the manor, getting Draco scared that someone might actually see him and kill him. But that was the last of his worries after Eliza escaped; her room was empty and he had to come up with different lies in order to keep her disappearance hidden. It was bad enough when the Dark Lord arrived and found that Harry Potter had left; moreover, his and Bellatrix's wands have been taken along and Voldemort forbade them to leave the house again.  
  
“Stop squirming so much.” The blond mumbled after finally snatching Furvus and hiding him in his jacket.  
  
“Draco,” The blond froze when he heard his aunt’s voice right behind him. 

He sighed and pulled the kitten closer to him, scared that Furvus might spontaneously fall and draw attention.

“My beloved nephew, how is our precious guest enjoying her time in her room? It’s been weeks and she hasn’t shown her face once.” Bellatrix continued, walking towards him slowly, making him feel like a rat in front of a snake.

“She’s fine. The news of Potter shook her and I had to calm her down.” He responded curtly but she wasn’t stupid.

“Isn’t that weird?” She trailed, walking past him, giving him the chills, “He came here but didn’t help her; his  _friend._ ”

Draco watched her and listened to her, panic spreading through his heart, “No one knows she is here.”

Bellatrix hummed, “I find it hard to believe that all the commotion downstairs didn’t perturb her at all. She is the kind of person who would check out the noise straight away. We both know that’s who she is, Draco.” She leaned closer ans glared at her nephew. “Is she truly in the room, Draco? Or has she ran after Potter?”

“That’s enough Bellatrix,” 

Draco sighed in relief when his father walked in the hall.

“Eliza can’t get off the domain; you personally did the enchantment,” Lucius continued.

That seemed to have calmed down the crazy ideas in her head.

“True but how can you be so sure she didn’t interact with Potter?” She combated but Lucius seemed assured of what he was saying.  
  
Malfoy glanced at his son before he walked past him and opened the door to his right, the one towards a random room, “I have spoken to her only a few minutes ago and she seems clueless. Now, I have certain matters I want to discuss with my son.”

He narrowed his eyes at Bellatrix and pushed Draco inside the room, ending the discussion.

Draco licked his lips and looked around nervously, “Have you really spoken to her?”

“Don’t be a fool, Draco. We both know she grabbed the chance and fled with Potter,” The older man scoffed, forcing his son to face him, “The Dark Lord is busy at the moment and he’s assured Eliza is safely kept in here; let’s keep that assurance for as long as we can. She better not be an idiot and follow Potter in his troubles but just in case, give me the cat.”

Draco’s eyes widened and gave Furvus to his father, “This isn’t an ordinary cat.”

Lucius scowled, “Of course not! It’s an animagus locked in his form by none other than Morfin Gaunt. He’s the sole descendant of Antioch Peverell and he’s been searching for Eliza for a while now.”

Draco stared at the innocent kitten, shocked that something so small and cute could actually hide a man older than his father; maybe even the same age as the Dark Lord.

“How is that even possible?”

Lucius grabbed the cat by the neck and glared at it, the cat acting like he didn’t know anything, “Furvus, huh! Vernon Peverell that is his real identity. Anyway, I have an errand for him,” Lucius grabbed a letter from the back pocket and placed Furvus down, “Mildred!” He screamed, the house elf appearing right away, “Take the cat and this letter and give them to Eliza.” He ordered.

“But Mildred doesn’t know where Miss Eliza is, master.” The elf responded looking down at her feet.

“Furvus can trace her so just follow him. Go now.” 

Mildred nodded and grabbed the kitten and the letter before Disapparating.

Draco turned to his father with a suspicious expression, “Why are you helping her?”

“The same reason you do."

Draco doubted that.

* * *

They were ready. Hermione packed everything they needed but they still had to take the Polyjuice to get into Gringotts. Hermione had to go as Bellatrix while Ron's disguise was just a random, ugly man. 

“You do know you have to act like scum." Eliza repeated for the millionth time while helping Hermione master Bellatrix.

"Yes."

"And you have to look at people as if they are scum." Eliza continued, not moving an inch from her seat.

"I got it, Liz." Hermione snapped. "We may not return here so you shouldn't leave the cottage." She added in a softer tone. 

* * *

It was one day later when Eliza decided to go out. She folded her arms in front of her chest and looked upon the sea; it seemed so serene compared to how the world was at the moment. Being around Harry was dangerous but her life was less important now that she got to see how many people were in far greater danger than her.

"M-Miss?" Eliza's head snapped to the side, shocked to hear and see Mildred. She hurried to the house elf and checked out if she was harmed or not.

"Why are you here?" Eliza asked when she was sure the elf was unharmed.

"Master Malfoy sent Mildred. Here," She gave Eliza the letter and turned around in order to get Furvus off her.

"Draco sent this?" Eliza asked curiously as Furvus jumped into her arms.

Mildred shook her head, "No. Master Malfoy instructed Mildred to find you and assure him that Miss is safe,"

"What about the rest? They know I'm gone?" Eliza asked warily but sighed in relief when Mildred shook her head, "Alright then. Thank you, Mildred,"

The house elf seemed taken aback with the sudden thank you and left.

She let Furvus down and unfolded the letter, keen to find out what exactly he wanted from her; especially after she made him angry last time.  
  
 _Dear Eliza,_

_No one has to know you are gone and if I were you, I would hide for the rest of the war; your mother's house in Ireland if possible._

_If you decide to follow Potter into the war and fight then you should find your cat helpful. What is looking at you with the most innocent green eyes is actually a man. Use the ring of Slytherin to undo the spell or keep him locked in his animagus form for the rest of his life; I don't care._

_If you ever think of walking into Hogwarts during these times, Snape will not hide you nor protect you._  
  
Eliza glanced at her cat before she read the paragraph again. _What is looking at you with the most innocent green eyes is actually a man._ Somehow it wasn't a surprise but having an animagus sleep with her in bed for the past few years sounded very embarrassing. The witch grabbed her wand and pointed it at Furvus' figure. 

"How can I be sure you aren't evil?" She asked, bending in front of her pet. Furvus shrugged which only made her laugh, "Will you help me at least?" She asked, the answer being a nod.

Eliza straightened up and took one last look at her kitten before she broke the spell using the Slytherin ring around her neck. A bright blue light engulfed the kitten, forcing the man to change into his human form.

"Ah! Finally!"

It was indeed a man, just like Lucius said. He wasn't older than Bill Weasley and he looked a lot like her mother. Besides, he wasn't naked which spared her the embarrassment. 

Those incredible green eyes moved on Eliza and he smiled, the dimples in his cheeks deepening, "Hello there. Nice to finally be able to speak properly," His voice was exactly like the one she heard in her cat form, "I have to recognize, I am amazed how much we look alike. Rest assured, we are not relatives; at least, I don't think so," He was rambling and Eliza was completely blown by the whole thing.

"You slept in bed with me." She wasn't sure if she should feel grossed out or not.

He only chuckled and rubbed his head sheepishly, "Yes, we spent an amazing time together. But I did help you a lot too and always brought Draco Malfoy to the rescue." He seemed too proud of that.

Eliza scoffed, "Yes, about that. Why always him?"

The man shrugged, "It seemed like he fancied you and I couldn't bring myself to go to someone else. He just popped into my head."

Eliza bit her lip, trying her best not to transform him back into a cat; he was talking bullocks.

"Oh, right. We should get going or they will come searching for you. Tom can easily trace you if he tries."

"Tom?" Eliza was genuinely curious. That man had such a playful character and his face wasn't helping either; he was reminding her of Fred and George.  
  
"Yes. Isn't that his name? He is one and the same and believe it or not, we met a very long time ago"

Her eyes widened, "How old are you exactly?"

The man chuckled, hating to respond to that question, "Old enough. Now we have to find some clothes and leave. If you want to help them, you need to be where the action ensues."

"Who are you again?" Eliza asked still startled by the way he seemed to know everything.

The man smiled and grabbed her hand before pulling her towards the cottage. 

"Vernon Peverell, direct descendant of Antioch Peverell. It’s a pleasure working with you, Eliza Gaunt.”


	50. The Fall

A few hours later and Eliza was sneaking around Hogsmeade in her cat form with her new companion.  
  
<Where are we supposed to go?> She asked, shuddering slightly.

Vernon glanced at her over his shoulder and winked, <Trust me. I'm not going to murder you in secrecy> He joked before running across the street.

<I prefer you as Furvus> She mumbled before running after him.

Vernon was very fast and knew how to blend into the shadows. Eliza lost him when he turned a corner towards a dead end. She surveyed the place curiously before she literally got snatched by someone and thrown into a house.

Eliza hissed at whoever was there, confused. A dark figure walked into the light while the witch changed back.

"This is her?" The older man asked doubtfully, her whole appearance not being what he was expecting.

Another figure walked out of the dark, far younger.

"Yes, she is the Gaunt inheritor." Vernon responded, his hands linked behind him, "Her mother found the resurrection stone before she told Albus about it. It’s not sure how she found out but I'm guessing it was back when she searched for her father's identity."

“Who’s this?” She barely whispered, her throat hurting from hissing.

“Aberforth Dumbledore, brother of Albus Dumbledore. Let’s just skip the rest of the story and get down to business. We’re here with a mission."

Eliza felt like punching him in the face.

* * *

Aberforth Dumbledore was definitely different from Albus Dumbledore but he was a kind man, just very blunt compared to his brother. As Vernon and Aberforth took a seat, Eliza wandered around, her eyes getting drawn to a particular piece of art.

"She let you free, I am impressed." Aberforth seemed to have a constant frown on his face.

"That is not why I came to see you. She’s been locked in the Malfoy Manor with Tom," He started, “She knows.”

"If he wants her memories, she must trust him.” Aberforth mumbled, his eyes grazing over the young woman, “Not that it matters anyway. You-Know-Who's already won the war and everyone who thinks otherwise is torturing themselves.”

Vernon narrowed his eyes at the man, “It’s not too late as long as Harry Potter lives. Tom wants those memories and I’m pretty sure he will snatch her back with the first opportunity. The best way to stay alive for her right now is to hide in Hogwarts.”

Aberforth hummed, still uncertain, “She won’t be protected in there. He probably wants her dead so he wouldn’t have to worry about another family member in the future. That if she doesn't give him access to her mind.”

Vernon snarled, “She will never accept him as family. She's not Ophelia.”

Aberforth sighed, “Why don’t you hide her somewhere else then? You’re sending her on the battlefield, aware that she might die.”

Vernon sighed and leaned back against the chair, “I’m going with her. I lived like a cat for long time, I can endure it for a little bit longer.”

“You’re a fool, Vernon. You caused this in the first place.” The elder mumbled, "You were Lillian's Secret Keeper." Aberforth whispered grumpily.

On the other side, Eliza approached the portrait of the young girl and smiled, seeing the resemblance to the former headmaster

 "So beautiful," She mumbled, leaning closer. 

The girl looked at Eliza with vacant eyes and the witch walked closer, sensing some kind of understanding from the portrait. It was strange but it felt like Eliza was looking at someone who could easily read her.

Vernon glanced at the brunette witch and smiled softly, "They look so much alike but they are so different; all three of them.”  
  
"Harry Potter was here. They entered Hogwarts and there are more to come." Aberforth informed Vernon loud enough for Eliza to hear.  
  
The brunette spun around, “Then we have to get there quickly.”  
  
Aberforth got up and walked towards the witch, “Are you committed to your family, Miss Gaunt?”  
  
“I’m committed to Remus Lupin, if that's what you ask.” She responded curtly.   
  
Vernon laughed in the background at Aberforth’s poker face.

The elder man looked at his sister and nodded. The girl in the portrait left for a few minutes and returned with one person Eliza hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“Seamus?”

The boy chuckled and hugged her tightly, feeling like hope was finally returning to Hogwarts.

* * *

“Harry is already at Hogwarts. We have to move fast or they might catch on.” He started, holding her hand tightly as they walked through the tunnel. 

Vernon was changed into his animagus form on her shoulder, listening with interest.

She frowned, “Who? Death Eaters?”

“Even worse: the Carrow siblings and the other Slytherins. They torture us when they get the impression we’re planning something. Huh, bloody idiots don’t even know what we’re doing exactly. But now that Harry’s back to Hogwarts, it feels like we haven’t been surviving for nothing.” He spoke with so much assurance that even Vernon was moved.

Eliza squeezed Seamus’s hand, “You brave lad,”

It sounded like she was teasing him but she was genuinely proud of her friend.

The tunnel wasn’t very long, or at least didn’t seem so; they arrived relatively fast in the Room of Requirement.

Everyone from the DA was there and they smiled when they saw Eliza. It was good to have as many people as possible. 

She rubbed her eyes and placed the kitten on the ground, “Did he call for someone? Harry, I mean. Did he call the rest?”

Seamus nodded, “Neville used the Galleon to call for reinforcement. Some of them already arrived but we called for the Order as well. They should come any minute now.”

And they certainly did. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came first and Remus followed with Kingsley. 

Eliza glanced at Vernon and nodded, assuring him that she will keep his identity hidden for now. 

"It's time, isn't it? Time to show the bravery of Sirius Black." Eliza started, walking towards her godfather. 

Remus chuckled and ruffled her hair fondly.

"I know whatever I say won't change your mind so go with it." 

But Eliza didn't laugh or sketch a smile. She wanted to be sure of something important to her.

"Why didn't you tell me that I never saw mom die? Why didn't you tell me the truth?" She asked bluntly.

Remus sighed and grabbed a hand through his hair.

"You were just a baby when Snape brought you to me. I wasn't ready and wasn't informed at all. I woke up with a kid to raise, me, a werewolf. When you first told me your dream, I knew it wasn't you who witnessed the murder but it seemed like your desire to learn magic was coming from that dream alone. It was the reason that drove you to who you are now." 

"No one was there when she died. No one knows what happened." Eliza mumbled, staring into Lupin's brown eyes.

He smiled sorrowfully, "You do. She left you her memories." 

Eliza's poker face didn't seem to affect the werewolf. As the door to the Room opened, Eliza got shaken to reality by Harry. 

"Liz! How did you get here? What is-" He stopped and looked at the rest of the Order. 

Kingsley already had a plan and the Order looked prepared to fight. There were going to be groups in every tower and smaller groups at ground level. Remus was one of the ground level heads and Eliza was not ready to leave him alone.

"I can take care of myself. You do that too." He said, squeezing her shoulder in assurance before running out. 

"Liz, we have to go into the Great Hall. The rest must know." Harry started. "Snape's gone and-" 

Her eyes widened, "He's gone? As in, he ran away?" She asked bewildered.

Harry nodded and urged her to go with the rest. Vernon changed as soon as they walked out of the Room and he looked sour.

"What? Didn't miss Hogwarts?" Eliza asked, getting into the crowd.

"I loved Hogwarts until Tom walked through the doors. I was in my fifth year and disliked him instantly. I wasn't surprised when I heard he killed with cold blood." Vernon explained with regret.

"How did Morfin Gaunt curse you?" 

Vernon scoffed before responding, "I wanted to know more about Tom so I visited his uncle in Azkaban. I used Legilimency and figured Tom must have planted those memories inside his head. Morfin didn't take it well but he didn't curse me. Tom did. People just assumed it was Morfin." 

"Why?"

Vernon glanced at her from the corner of his eye and sighed, "That's in your mother's memories. I can only tell you that I witnessed a lot in my life and am not proud of how I manipulated the people around me." 

Eliza rolled her eyes, "Who did you kill?" She asked once they entered the Great Hall.

"Your grandmother." He whispered but with all the noise around, it looked like she didn't hear.

* * *

With Snape gone, everyone realized they were finally free to fight for what they believe in. McGonagall was being quite a good leader and the Order was backing her up. Under age students were kindly shown out of harm while those of age who wanted to fight could stay.

"Always witty, that Minerva." Vernon joked but Eliza couldn't hear him.

She frowned and glanced over her shoulder, feeling like the darkness was crawling towards her from somewhere in the castle. She swallowed in fear and felt her eyes tear up before everything in the hall became grim and the lights dimmed.

Eliza heard Voldemort’s voice calling out for Harry and she took a few steps back, grasping her chest as she felt her mouth dry up.

Clouds hovered above Hogwarts and everyone could feel the danger approaching. One girl started to scream and then another and another and Eliza’s hands started to tremble in fear, feeling herself panic because she knew how overwhelming Voldemort was.

Sensing the threat, Vernon grabbed her hand, protecting her as if she was his sister but Eliza had already seen the wrath of her relative and she knew it was nothing compared to what he could do.

 _“I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise but this is folly,”_ Voldemort whispered, his voice amplifying through the whole space, sending chills to students who never even imagined how he looked like, moreover sound like, _“Give me Harry Potter,”_ The snake begun, _”Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. You have until midnight."_ He finished.

“He doesn’t know you escaped,” Vernon whispered and squeezed her hand, “You still have a chance if you hide.” He continued as one Slytherin approached Harry.

Eliza’s eyes darkened as his words echoed in her head, “No,” She said firmly, pushing his hand away, “I am afraid and I know this is suicide but I won’t do the same mistake as my mother. I am not my mother.”

Vernon stared at Eliza before he chuckled and patted her head.

“Good.”

* * *

Students decided that Harry was worth fighting for and they were ready to sacrifice their lives for a better future; well, except Slytherins who have been kindly shown out for the rest of the time.

“Liz, we-“ Remus stopped when he noticed the man standing tall next to her.

“Oh, right. This is Furvus,” Eliza mumbled seeing how Dean and Seamus also came over. Even the boys were startled by Vernon’s appearance, “He’s an animagus,” Eliza continued, her eyes catching glimpse of Blaise, “I’ll let you get acquainted.” She said quickly and moved through the students to get to Blaise.

It was really hard to pass through Slytherins especially with all the spontaneous hits they'd give at the sight of her face; but that didn’t matter as long as she could grab Zabini and have a chat. She was a few feet from the Slytherin when she noticed blond hair in the crowd, turning the corner with two boys following closely.  
  
“Draco,” She mumbled, her heart skipping a beat.

* * *

As the corridors were getting more and more crowded with students running around, preparing themselves mentally and physically, Eliza found herself standing on the Wooden Bridge facing the mass of dark wizards trying to enter the grounds of Hogwarts. Seamus and Neville were placing small bombs around the bridge, in case they would get inside.

“I never thought I’d get the chance to see this as a man.”

Vernon came next to Eliza and placed his hands on her shoulder. 

“I never thought Remus would recognize me either. He only saw me in pictures with little Ophelia and I was more handsome back then." He added.

Eliza threw the redhead a curious look, “How do you know everyone?"  
  
He shrugged innocently. "I've been around for a very long time. I know stuff." He responded before he stared ahead at the waiting Death Eaters, “Tom will find out soon enough that you're here."

“And how do you know that?"

"Instinct. I know Tom and I know how tight can a blood bond be. Yours is very tight, Eliza. He is your grandfather after all." 

"Wait what?!" Seamus screamed, an even more confused Neville standing next to him.

Eliza glared at the green eyed redhead and ran inside the castle. He started it so he might as well give the answers. 

* * *

As the protection veil was slowly covering the castle, Eliza hurried to her godfather; she found him watching everything unfold with patience.

“Do we stand a chance?” Eliza mumbled, startling her godfather since he didn’t hear her approaching.

The werewolf sighed and rubbed his neck, “I hope so. If only Sirius and James could be here, also Lily and Ophelia...”

Eliza’s eyes softened at the memory of her father and his best friend and grabbed Remus’ hand tightly.

“Don’t leave me, Remus.” Eliza mumbled, her heart breaking at the thought, “Don’t leave me.” She repeated squeezing his hand.

Lupin turned to her and wrapped his arms around her, “No matter what happens, don’t forget you are loved; you have always been loved. I don't regret getting you or raising you. You are just like my daughter. But Liz, if something does happen, I want you to be family for my son.”  
  
"Nothing will happen to you. We will return home unharmed and we will celebrate our victory." Eliza said looking ahead.   
  
Remus smiled softly and remembered the moment Snape brought Eliza to him.   
  
 _It was a few days after the full moon and Remus Lupin was moving around his house, looking worse than before. He had to be at a meeting in a few hours and could already hear Sirius complaining about him being late. Actually, thinking about his friend, Remus was curious if something happened between him and Ophelia. The two had stubborn personalities and would never back off from an argument; it was really troublesome when the two had a fight. But Ophelia's been gone for a year already and no one knew where she was._  
  
Remus was thinking of sending her a letter when he heard noise outside. He could feel his wolf reflexes creeping up on him, especially since his state was still sensible. Two loud and powerful knocks drew him to the door and with wary moves, he opened it only to be pushed aside and have a person in a dark long cloak enter.   
  
"What are you doing here?" Remus asked, his eyes instinctively narrowing as his hand moved to his wand.   
  
Snape didn't seem to care or bother with anything. Once he turned around, Remus realized why Snape was there in the first place.   
  
"It doesn't please me to be here either but I, unlike you and your lot, know what loyalty means." He sneered, his eyes looking down on the ragged man.  
  
"Where is Ophelia?" Remus asked, though he had a lot more questions.   
  
"Dead. She's been dead for a year and none of you bothered to search for her." Snape accused what used to be Ophelia's most trusted friend. The werewolf Remus Lupin was the first Gryffindor that she told her secret because she knew Remus could somehow understand. But now he was alive and she was dead and it was all just a charade.  
  
 That wasn't what Remus was thinking. He was so shocked that he dropped his wand.  
  
"How can that- A year?! But-"   
  
He was hurt and ashamed of himself for not trying harder to reach her. Suddenly, Remus thought of Sirius and the pain intensified. He was **not** going to take the news well; not at all.   
  
"If it makes you feel better about yourself, she trusts you enough to give her daughter in your care. Not that I approve but that was her final wish." Snape continued, glancing at the baby girl in his arms.   
  
However, even for Remus, it was obvious the child was not a newborn, "Where was she for the past year?"   
  
Snape didn't say anything for a few minutes until the baby raised her arms and blabbered something gibberish.   
  
"That is not important now. Ophelia trusts you with raising her child and keeping her a secret, even from her father."   
  
Remus' eyes widened, "Sirius has every right to meet his daughter! He's been-"  
  
"I do not care how Black has been since he has not been where he was needed a year ago. Now, Eliza will remain hidden for as long as possible. There is an enchantment placed over her mind, a labyrinth made to hide Ophelia's secrets. Don't tell her anything that would break that labyrinth. I will know if you do. I did the enchantment." Snape explained before giving the innocent girl to Remus.   
  
Even for a Death Eater whose dream has always been to join the Dark Lord, Snape couldn't help but feel like he was giving away the last piece he had of his friend. Ophelia was a friend and a protector and Snape will never forget those beautiful green eyes.  
  
"You looked after her for this past year, haven't you? Her eyes remind you of her mother's." Remus mumbled, looking at the baby girl.  
  
The man chuckled, the pain he was feeling in his body numbing at the sight of her eyes. Eliza made another baby noise and looked at Remus before her eyes went to Snape. She smiled and raised her arms for him but he didn't move.   
  
With one last look at Eliza, Snape left and didn't utter a second word about Ophelia's death.  
  
Remus sighed and went upstairs, holding the girl close.  
  
"Eliza Black..." 

* * *

“Where have they gone?” Eliza mumbled, searching for the three Slytherins. She left her godfather and wanted to see and speak to the blond.

The only place she could think of, especially since it looked like they just vanished, was the Room of Requirement; it was the only place that could hide someone so well.

That was how Eliza found herself staring at an empty wall. Furvus- now Vernon Peverell- wasn't there to lead her on so she had to think of a solution by herself. The witch waited for a few more minutes before she heard a loud explosion. Her head turned towards the stairs but she couldn't see anything strange, only hear noise. Another explosion and she was sure it was the Death Eaters trying to enter Hogwarts, if they didn't already. Eliza was ready to run and help her friends when the doors to the Room opened and the golden trio rushed out with Draco and Goyle.

The blond noticed her suspiciously fast, grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms.

“You’re alive,” He whispered, holding onto her tightly before grabbing her shoulders and looking into her eyes, “He knows you’re gone; Bellatrix barged in your room and found it empty. He killed Mildred.”

Eliza froze and felt another death add to her consciousness. 

“He wants Harry." She mumbled. "He won't kill me just yet."

Draco shook his head before he shook her lightly, “He doesn’t want anyone to know you escaped him. You and Potter are two different cases but believe me, he is very angry with you.”

Eliza scoffed, “He wants Harry to kill me because I'm not giving him the memories. He wants the last Gaunt dead.”

“But you’re not Gaunt, are you? You’re Eliza  **Black."**  Draco emphasized the name; her name.

That seemed to trigger something into her mind because the face of her father flashed before her eyes.

_“I was just Sirius and she was just Ophelia and I was happy with that.”_

The brunette blinked and glanced at the trio. They were preoccupied with something else and gave the blond the perfect opportunity to pull her after him, not giving her the chance to speak to Harry. 

* * *

Draco led Eliza into the corridor towards the dungeons.  
  
“I think it’s time for you to let it go,” Eliza whispered, leaning against the wall, “You’re not a Death Eater, Draco. It’s time for you to admit it.”  
  
Draco fell next to her, playing with his ring as he remembered what happened after she left, “He was so angry. I thought he was going to kill me but he didn’t; he killed thousands of house elves and goblins from Gringotts. First is Potter and then it’s us.” He admitted, lying his head back.

Eliza licked her lips and wandered if she should comfort him in any way. She was very awkward when she had to show her emotions. In the end, she grabbed his arms and opened his palm.

“Here,” She snatched the Slytherin ring from her neck and gave it to him, “I want you to have it, as encouragement."  
  
He raised an eyebrow and looked closely at the ring, “For what?”  
  
“For believing in who you are and admitting it to yourself; the rest doesn’t matter, Draco.” 

Eliza was looking up at him with honest eyes. They both knew that circumstances brought them so close to each other and the same circumstances were pulling them away. It was complicated and they both knew it yet in that moment, it felt as both just came to accept it, even if it was hard.   
  
Eliza was not Lillian Gaunt and she was not going to make the same mistake as her family has done for centuries. 

Eliza got up quickly when they heard screams and grabbed her wand out of reflex. She was ready to run into the wild but she stopped and looked at her hand before throwing her wand at the blond.  
  
“What’s this for?”   
  
“You need one more than I do right now.” She said before swaying her fingers, creating little sparks, "Bare hand magic, remember?" 

That was all before she ran downstairs, where the battle had already begun.

* * *

Saying that it was chaos was an underestimation; it was far more than that, far more than anything she had seen in her life. Those green eyes searched for her friends desperately, defending herself on the way. When Eliza walked into the courtyard, a giant troll eyed her and ran towards her, waving his club above his head.  
  
Eliza narrowed her eyes at him and let him approach enough before she swayed her hand to the right, the troll being thrown to the same side.  
  
Unfortunately, there were so many creatures entering the grounds and no matter how many students were fighting, it looked like they were losing.

“Look what we have here~” The Death Eater had a mask on his face so she had no idea who he was but it didn’t even matter.

“Stupefy!” She screamed, pointing her hand at him but the wizard jumped out of the way and snarled at her.

“Crucio!”

Eliza ducked just in time. She ran closer and kicked him in the chin before she whispered, “Avada Kedavra.”

“Eliza!” She spun around and realized Vernon was running towards her, his wand pointed at everything, really, “Are you alright?” He asked, firing curses left and right.

Her eyes widened when she noticed Seamus a few feet forward; she pushed Vernon aside and glared at the Snatcher before stunning him. Seamus turned around and yelled thanks before he ran from a giant.

“Where is Remus?” She asked straight away, spinning in circles, searching for the man.

“He’s an adult, Eliza! He can take care of himself.” He started, firing a curse over her shoulder, killing another Death Eater. “You have to keep away from Death Eaters.” He whispered, grabbing her harshly.  
  
“Why are you protecting me? Why are you so loyal?”  
  
Vernon chuckled, “I’ve been living with you for five years of course I grew fond of you. You taught me to be loyal. You thought me friendship, as well. I didn’t vow to anyone to protect you but I did vow to myself to never disappoint you.”

She was ready to respond to him when she noticed a Death Eater entering Hogwarts, his eyes set on someone specifically. Eliza knew him and seeing him enter with Bellatrix Lestrange was not good.

“I have to go.” She ran without a plan but she had an incredible desire to torture those two Death Eaters.

The green eyed witch was ready to enter Hogwarts when she noticed two men fighting in the far right, through the ruins. Her eyes widened when she recognized one of them as Dolohov and the other-

“Remus!” She screamed, her heart beating faster as she noticed Dolohov firing curse after curse at Remus, hitting him with the cruciatus curse and pushing him on the ground, “REMUS!” She screamed louder, running to him.

Dolohov glanced at Eliza and smirked before he turned to Remus.

“Avada Kedavra!” /”Crucio!” They said at the same time but to different people.  
  
When Eliza got there, Remus was on the ground, looking up with scratches all over his face and clothes ragged. She bit her lip, her eyes already tearing up.

Remus Lupin was dead.

“No!” She cried out, falling next to her godfather, “No, no, no. Not you too!” She cried harder, the tears falling down her cheeks like waterfalls. She grabbed his face and caressed it softly, closing his eyes since that bloody tyrant killed him in spite, “You bloody idiot, you should have done everything to stay alive!” She cried harder, drawing attention from the students around them.

“Black!”

She heard her name but didn’t react. She could sense Dolohov crawling to her and she closed her eyes, holding onto Remus’s body with everything she got.

Fortunately, he didn’t get to kill her because professor Flitwick intervened. Dolohov ran away laughing loudly and it only pissed her off. 

It was already too late for Remus.  
  
“Black, you can’t mourn at this moment. Fight for him!” 

It wasn’t a surprise since he was the head of Ravenclaw who was a house full of clear-minded wizards.

“I lost two fathers,” She whispered, feeling like everyone she loved died for nothing, “It’s my fault. Dolohov did it because he saw me coming.”

Flitwick sighed and patted her back awkwardly, “He would have killed him anyway; it’s not your fault.”

Eliza wiped her cheeks and sat down next to Remus’ corpse, swaying back and forth as she hid her face with her hands. So much death, so many fights and for what? For a boy who was so greedy that he was ready to sacrifice everything for his hunger for power.

She calmed down and decided to use every tear, every strike of pain to protect what she had left.

Flitwick was surprised when she stood up, her face blank and eyes mirroring the ones of Voldemort himself. She walked towards the front doors, killing every dark wizard coming at her. Eliza wasn’t bothered anymore with control because, as it has been proven, she needed to lose her mind in order to save someone.


	51. The End

Inside Hogwarts, the battle was even more gruesome. Eliza was walking up the stairs when she stopped and turned around in time to block Bellatrix’s curse.  
  
“Out and about, aren't we~” The crazed woman started, taking one step closer, “How polite of you to show up and get killed with the rest. The Dark Lord will definitely praise me for doing what should have been done a long time ago.” Her eyes widened a bit in excitement as she took another step towards Eliza.  
  
The young witch scoffed, “Fine then. Go on and kill me,” She was out of her mind to taunt someone like Bellatrix.  
  
“Who am I to disagree?” Bellatrix sung happily, pointing her wand at Eliza, “Avad-“  
  
“Expelliarmus!”  
  
Both women were startled by the sudden interruption. The blond kept his wand pointed at his aunt as he pulled Eliza into his arms.  
  
“Somehow, it doesn’t surprise me, Draco.” Bellatrix started with a disappointed expression as she bent to grab her wand, “You fell in her charms just like your father did.”  
  
Draco glared at his aunt, “Don’t kill her. The Dark Lord was clear when he ordered us to bring her to him alive."  
  
Bellatrix scoffed but didn’t have the opportunity to take action as Voldemort’s voice spread over the grounds once again.  
  
 _“You have fought,”_ said the high, cold voice, _“valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured._  
  
I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.”  He finished dramatically, adding more fear to those who survived.  
  
Bellatrix chuckled and waved before she fled.  
  
Eliza watched as the grounds emptied and everything left behind was guilt and regret. She rested her head on Draco’s shoulder and sighed in relief.  
  
“I really thought she was going to kill me.” She mumbled, rubbing her forehead. 

She felt like she should take a seat because her head was dizzy.  
  
“She was. She hates you enough to ignore Voldemort’s orders,” The blond started, helping her walk down before they sat on the stairs, “He did order my father to bring you to him. He wants you to see him kill the last hope you have.”  
  
Eliza looked up at the blond as she finally registered what happened that night; everything that’s happened. She’s been driven by vengeful thoughts and she didn’t notice that she’s actually been hit a few times: her leg was bleeding while her back was scratched badly. It was probably the adrenaline that numbed the pain but it hurt like heck now that she's calmed down.  
  
“Remus is dead,” She remembered, tears forming in her eyes once again, “My father figure is dead. My real father is dead, as well. What do I have left?” By now she was already sobbing and hid her crying face in the crook of his neck.  
  
Draco frowned as he could only hug her silently. It became really silent.  
  
The wound in her leg was pretty bad and reached her bone but that was nothing compared to the corpses brought in the Great Hall. Madame Pomfrey wrapped her leg in bandages and assured Eliza that she was going to be fine. That opinion changed immediately when they brought Remus and Tonks’s dead bodies; it was really hard to control her emotions, especially with the Weasleys crying their loss.

* * *

Many heroes died in the battle of Hogwarts and many had no idea what they got themselves into.  
  
Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall, the ginger going to his brother while Hermione went to Ginny. Harry saw Eliza sitting by herself, her eyes locked on two corpses: Remus and Tonks were together even in death.  
  
“What were you two thinking?” Eliza muttered, fidgeting nervously since the sorrow was amplifying her magic.

"Liz, Snape...is dead. He was killed by the snake Nagini." Hermione informed her, feeling like it was important for her to know.  
  
“He’s never been an enemy to me, you know. He protected me and taught me a lot more than you think." Eliza mumbled, looking down at her hands.

A sudden ache in the back of her head made her stumble to the side. It started soft but became harsher and stronger. Eliza had to close her eyes because she was tearing up and her whole mind was breaking. Then Eliza had a sudden thought: Snape enchanted the labyrinth in her mind. He was dead so **the charm broke.**

_It was the same memory from her childhood, the one that she supposedly created as an illusion for what happened to her mother. This time, Eliza could see it clearly. The woman laughing was definitely not her mother but her grandmother. She was a short woman with green eyes and bright red hair._

_Ophelia looked a lot like Eliza when she was young but had shorter hair and was chubbier. She was definitely not 4 years old but a bit older, around 7 years old probably._

_Eliza looked up and saw dark clouds gathering over the village. Lillian told Ophelia to enter the house and Eliza saw the same pieces of memory unfold._

_Once Voldemort arrived, Eliza realized he didn’t have any Death Eaters following him. He wasn’t wearing a cloak either and he looked more humane than she imagined._

_“How did you find me?” Lillian asked in a very thick Scottish accent._

_“I see you have been very busy, Lillian. This house has every possible protection around it.” Tom said, looking at the walls before turning his attention on her. “Very impressive, I must say.”_

_Lillian looked nothing but afraid. Before her was the man that pretty much raised her, the one who she fell in love with and had a child with. It didn’t matter that he planned everything because she was just as much of a Dark Wizard as he was._

_“How did you find me, Tom? The Charm-“_

_“Your little friend, the Peverell, he told me where you are. You didn’t choose your Secret Keeper wisely, cousin.” He responded, his eyes narrowing at the woman. “Now, where is my daughter?”_

_“What have you done with Vernon?” She changed the subject, hoping she could buy more time._

_Tom sighed, “He might be still alive. Now my daughter. Where is Ophelia?”_

_Lillian’s eyes widened and pointed her hand at her cousin. Tom chuckled bemusedly, taking one step towards her. His grasp around his wand tightened but the door towards his left cracked open and Ophelia’s chubby face appeared from behind it._

_“Go back inside, Ophelia! This man-this man-“_

_With one simple sway of his wand, the woman known as Lillian Gaunt was dead. Ophelia gasped and ran back inside the room. She knew there was a secret compartment in the dresser and hid in there._

_“Wherever you go, I will find you. Rest assured, Ophelia, your place by my side is irreplaceable.” He breathed out._

_Ophelia ended up in an orphanage in Birmingham where she had to hide the fact that she could do magic. Much like Eliza imagined, her mother was a troublesome child and would get intro trouble for messing around with the other children._

_“Are you sure you want to adopt her? She’s a bit peculiar.” The nurse whispered to a man who was twice her height._

_The man nodded and Ophelia went along. She became Ophelia Molley and her life changed. Eliza watched as Ophelia’s next years were greater than she could imagine until one day, in the park._

_“Do I know you?” Asked a 10 years old Ophelia._

_There was a man watching her from afar as she was playing with other children in the playground. He beckoned her closer and smiled suavely._

_“You don’t remember me, do you, Ophelia?” He asked softly._

_The girl shook her head, confused. “Should I?”_

_Those empty eyes of Tom Riddle Jr softened only a tiny bit at the sight of his daughter. Ophelia was definitely different from what he imagined her to be: she was witty, stubborn and held a desire to control everyone and everything around her. She was much more like him than she was like Lillian and it pleased him. He could see it in her eyes, the crave to affirm herself._  
  
Tom's smile shifted into a smirk and he said something that earned Ophelia’s trust right away.

 _“You can do great things, can’t you? Things that your friends or parents cannot.” He whispered, her green eyes widening._  
  
"I don't know what you mean, mister."  
  
But Tom grasped his wand and made flowers appear around her. She squeaked in delight and looked up at him with those green eyes of hers.   
  
"I can teach you how to do it too but you have to keep it a secret. When time comes, your guardians will understand."   
  
And they definitely did. Richard and Gloria Molley welcomed the news with delight and did everything in their power to help their daughter. Ophelia was happy, especially when her Hogwarts letter arrived but there was something missing; someone was missing.  

 _Ophelia's memories swirled through Eliza's mind and stopped on the day she had to leave for Hogwarts. Unlike her daughter, Ophelia was talkative and brave and she was talking to anyone she could lay her eyes on. One of those was Remus Lupin but the first friend Ophelia made was Severus Snape._  
  
"What house do you suppose you'll get sorted in?" Snape asked, his child version looking pretty much like Eliza expected.   
  
"I don't know. I read about Hogwarts and the four houses but I don't know what type of person I am." She responded bluntly.   
  
Lily Evans was there as well, right next to Snape and she said, "Gryffindor would be a good choice, don't you think?"   
  
Ophelia noticed the sneer on Snape's face at the mention of Gryffindor but didn't say anything.   
  
In the end, Ophelia was sorted in Gryffindor, with Lily, while Snape went to Slytherin. However, unlike what the Sorting Hat decided, Ophelia had the personality of a Slytherin.   
  
Memories of Opehlia fighting Slytherins in the favor of mud-bloods were very rare. She was silently watching from the back and wouldn't mutter a word, not even when the victim was Lily. Potions was a hard subject that she really hated and just like mentioned before, Slughorn was being very harsh on her.   
  
"He hates me." Young Ophelia told Snape while they were doing homework in the library.   
  
Snape sighed and looked at her for a while before taking her notebook and writing on it.   
  
"That's my diary! What are you doing?" She asked, her eyes widening in confusion.  
  
"Helping you pass."   
  
He copied down everything. He was the one who wrote the notes in Ophelia's diary and he did it to help her.   
  
As she grew, Ophelia grabbed the eye of young Lucius Malfoy, who was a prefect back then. During the same period -her second year at Hogwarts- she started corresponding with Tom. She didn't forget him and he definitely didn't forget her. Just like he promised, Tom would help her whenever he could. After she finished her second year, Ophelia went back to Birmingham only to find her parents dead. From then on, she started to rely only on Tom. She spent almost every summer and every holiday break with him and he taught her magic above Hogwarts, a kind of magic that was giving her confidence. 

 _One little impediment was Sirius Black. During their third year, Sirius Black saw Ophelia do magic without a wand and she noticed Remus Lupin's personal problem. They made a deal: as long as she would hang around them, they will not tell about her to anyone. Sirius did use Confundus with her during a Halloween party where he bet with Potter that she would accept his invitation. Malfoy was mad but that night, she met Regulus Black._  
  
"You're her, aren't you? The Dark Lord's protegee." He asked, being suspiciously right.   
  
"What do you mean? What Dark Lord?" She asked, confused and curious.  
  
And she found out the truth about Tom. He was calling himself Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, the You-Know-Who but for her, he was always simply Tom. Her years in Hogwarts were moving really fast; the difference between Ophelia pre-Marauders and Ophelia with the Marauders was amazing. It was her fifth year and the deal turned into a wonderful friendship, especially with Sirius. She was smiling so much and she started to spend less and less time thinking about the Dark Arts.

_“You like him, don’t you? That good for nothing Sirius Black!” Snape snapped at her but she looked very calm._

_“I do. There’s something about him, something that I can’t explain. He gets me, Sev.” She said, genuinely in love with Sirius._

_Snape scoffed but once Ophelia confronted Lucius Malfoy about the same subject, he looked ready to jinx someone._

_“He’s not good for you! What do you think the Dark Lord will say when he’ll find out?!” Lucius screamed, his eyes flaring with anger and jealousy._

_“He won’t. I don’t plan to tell him anything about my friends.” She said, looking down at her hands._

_And she didn’t. Ophelia met with Tom every break and her relationship with Malfoy broke piece by piece. He was angry but he could see her only during breaks. Lucius was older and his so called respect for Tom was overwhelming. He wasn't the only one and that worried Ophelia. Regulus Black became the motive for fights between her and Sirius or even her and Snape._  
  
"Let him be! Being a follower is not bad and you know it. He gave you power, didn't he?" Snape asked, his eyes gleaming at the mention of Voldemort.  
  
Ophelia looked down and thought about her life for the next weeks. Then she got a sudden present from Tom, a Slytherin ring -not Slytherin's but good enough- and she loved it until she found out about Morfin Gaunt. She searched for answers and Dumbledore sent her to Morfin's house where she found the truth about Tom and the Resurrection Stone.   
  
"Are you sure it's there?" Dumbledore asked when she reported back to him.   
  
She nodded, "What if he finds it? He doesn't share but he has big plans."   
  
"Don't be afraid, Ophelia. Just because Tom is your father doesn't mean you are the same." Dumbledore said softly, words that Eliza heard before.  
  
"You're wrong. I am just like him and it doesn't even bother me. I feel...content." She said, trying to explain her feelings.

_There were many memories involving her admiration for her father. It went so far that when the war ensued and Voldemort asked for her to become part of him, she accepted. She accepted for him to place a part of his soul into her and make her a horcrux._

_Then everything broke when she finished studies. She moved with the Malfoys, to Lucius’ joy but she wasn’t happy. She was ready to give anything just to protect her friends, especially Regulus. As the war was creating so much pain and loss, she decided to not betray her friends. She became part of the Order of the Phoenix even if Dumbledore knew she was a risk. She didn't tell Voldemort anything but she didn't tell the Order either._

_“Reg, I know you want to be a follower but you don’t know him. You’re going to suffer more than you can imagine. Death Eaters are not friends, they’re slaves. He doesn’t see them as anything but goods that he can get rid of.”_

_“You’re there.” Regulus mumbled. “He doesn’t see you like that.”_

_“Reg, he’s my father but not even once he told me he cares. He calls me his relative, his needed companion because truthfully, he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s got a daughter.”_

_“But he won’t kill you.” He added, growing angry with the way she was acting._

_Then the memories came back to that moment she dreamed before. Ophelia got locked into the attic because she refused what was crucial for Voldemort._

_“I don’t want to be the horcrux anymore. I want a normal life.” She bluntly admitted, looking into Voldemort’s eyes._

_He looked mad for a moment before he glanced at her tummy, “You’re bearing a child.”_

_Ophelia’s eyes widened and she licked her lips nervously. “It’s not Lucius’. He has a very healthy marriage with Narcissa.”_

_Voldemort’s eyes rose to her face and raised an eyebrow, “I suppose it’s another Black?” He asked, knowing he was right. “Well, then it seems like you don’t have to be the horcrux after all. I want the child.”_

_“No.” She said firmly, her eyes narrowing at her father._

_That answer resulted into a lot fights and Voldemort wasn't being careful that she was his daughter. There was war both outside and inside the house and Voldemort was growing more annoyed with Ophelia._

_She was already pregnant in four months when she got a visitor._

_“Severus!” She screamed and wrapped his arms around her old friend. “I’m so happy you’re here. You have to help me.”_

_“It’s about the child, isn’t it? The Dark Lord always gets what he wants, Ophelia.” He said with a sneer at the bump._

_“I’ve been talking to Sirius and we decided Dumbledore will help protect my baby. As long as there’s a Gaunt alive, Tom will never find a way to become immortal.”_

_“I wouldn’t be so sure. He knows much more than you and I combined.”_

_“But I have something that I’ve been searching for a long time.” She said with a sly smile._

_Snape’s eyes widened, “You found it? The Resurrection Stone?”_

_“Peverell told my mother about it. It's in the old house. I told Dumbledore about it when I found out Tom is my father, a few years ago. He will never find it.”_

_Snape’s surprised died quickly as his eyes fell over her bump again. “What is that you want from me?”_

_“Be my Secret Keeper. I’ll hide in my mother's house, in Ireland.”_

_The memory led to the night she fled from the house with the help of Regulus Black. She left everything behind and flew with Regulus to a nice, silent village where most people were muggles. She turned to Regulus and hugged him tightly._

_“You were right.” He whispered, “There’s nothing left once you take this path.” Regulus continued sorrowfully._

_Ophelia grabbed his cheeks and smiled sadly, “At least you’ll be an uncle.”_

_Regulus chuckled and kissed her cheek before he left. The door to the small house opened and Snape ushered her in._

_Then, a few months later, Snape entered her room with a frown._

_“He knows you’re here. You have to leave now!”_

_She fled but Death Eaters came after her. Lucius Malfoy confuded some so she could get away but Voldemort was a different story._

_And then the same house came into sight and Eliza finally understood. Snape, Lucius and Regulus. They were Ophelia’s family,  her support during dark times because no matter how much she was sneaking around to help the Order, she could never give away information to neither side. Ophelia was somewhere in the middle and she could never escape without disappointing one side._

_“If he gains her thrust, it will all be over. He will kill her, he will find out about the prophecy, the Order, everything! Most importantly, he’ll find the Resurrection Stone and come back.”_

_“Then lock it away. Enough of us suffered.” Snape said angrily, glaring at her baby bump._

_Ophelia rubbed her tummy gently and smiled. “Take her away. I’d like if you could take her to Remus. I know it will never be safe with you Severus. You’re too close to him; too close to death.” She said, noticing Snape’s offended expression._

_“If that’s what you want.” He mumbled, visibly not happy with her choices._

_Ophelia sighed and looked down at her hands, “Where is Reg? What happened to him?”_

_“The Dark Lord tortured him for hours but he didn’t betray you. He left before I did.” Snape responded, sitting next to her. “He will kill you.” He said it like it was nothing but Eliza noticed the slight flinch of his hand._

_“No matter what happens to me, Eliza has to survive.”_

_Snape raised an eyebrow, “Eliza?”_

_Ophelia nodded, her eyes shining when speaking of her baby, “Sirius chose the name and I quite like it. He’ll come as soon as the Potters are safe.”_

_But Sirius didn’t come and Ophelia died all alone by the hand of her father._

“Eliza?”

Eliza felt like she’s been driven through the story of a muggle adventure book. All that love, hurt, disappointment and pain; they all just fell over her and engulfed her completely. Eliza started to cry, overwhelmed by her mother’s story but also her own story.

* * *

“Are you alright, dear?” McGonagall asked Eliza, seeing her cry on the bench in front of Remus and Tonks. 

Surprisingly enough, McGonagall wrapped her hands around her student and sighed.

 “You will be fine, Black. You are strong enough to get over this.”  
  
“I’m tired, professor,” Eliza whispered, feeling coldness spread through her heart. "I'm so tired."

“Do not speak like that to me, Black. You are just like your father, causing trouble wherever you go.” She started firmly.

Eliza rolled her eyes as the professor let her go, “Thank you, professor. It cheered me up,”

“I’m serious, Black. You still have a great number of friends who care about you.” She encouraged her student, smiling a bit since it suddenly became awkward.

“Liz!” Seamus ran over and hugged her, “Oh sorry professor,” He mumbled when he realized McGonagall was still there. 

That was a great interruption that was supporting McGonagall’s affirmation.  
  
The Transfiguration professor nodded at Eliza and left to tend to someone else’s heart. On the other side, Seamus was still hugging her.

“You can let me go now,” She mumbled, awkwardly patting his back.  
  
“By the way, your kitten,” He started once he did let go, “He’s wounded but something is very wrong with it. Madame Pomfrey didn’t sound very positive when she checked his condition.”

“Where is he?”

Seamus walked to a table and grabbed the black kitten carefully, bringing it to Eliza and placing him on the bench, “He has two legs broken and his ear’s been splinched.”  
  
The brunette sighed and licked her lips before bright blue sparkles erupted from her fingers; she pointed her hand at the black kitten and the animagus was forced to change back to his humans form, drawing McGonagall’s full attention.

“Vernon Peverell,” She mumbled when she saw his dimples and ginger hair; the rest of the teachers seemed as surprised as she was.

“All this time I thought he was killed by Tom,” Slughorn whispered, awestruck that one of his best Gryffindor students was actually alive and looked the same.

He opened his green eyes and winced, “Pain is not as bad when I’m a kitten,” He mumbled, his legs hurting like nothing before.

“Shut up and let Madame Pomfrey attend to you. You should be glad you’re alive,” Eliza sneered, shutting him up right away.

“I am not sure if he looks like your brother or like a Weasley,” Seamus commented from the side, getting hit by Eliza when sprouting such nonsense.

“I remember. I remember everything.” She said once Seamus left. “You’ve been waiting for her in Clifden ever since Lillian died. You knew she’ll go back but just like before, you couldn’t save her. That’s why you came to me.” Eliza muttered, wiping the tears off her cheeks with her sleeve.

Vernon blinked twice before he understood what Eliza meant. He sighed and limped towards her, wrapping a hand around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled in her air, “I wasn’t strong enough to defy Tom. Lillian and Ophelia, they died because of me. The house in Ireland was my idea and I couldn’t keep my vow to your family.”

* * *

Vernon was feeling better and he was being very talkative, especially with Slughorn and McGonagall, who were his favorite professors at Hogwarts during his years.

“Liz!” Eliza’s head snapped towards the door, seeing Hermione there, looking like she went through Hell, “Have you seen Harry?” She continued when Eliza moved closer.

“No.”

Hermione frowned, “What if he went in the Forest?"

Eliza didn't care anymore. It was too much pain.

* * *

Walking through the ruins, Eliza wondered what to do with her life from now on. If Harry was smart and Vernon was speaking the true back in Aberforth’s house, Albus Dumbledore gave the Resurrection Stone to Harry in one way or another. 

Now, what was she going to do with Vernon Peverell? She couldn’t speak to him like they have been friends from the moment Remus bought him; blimey, he was an animagus and could easily go places now that he could change back and forth.

Another problem was Remus’ house and the plans for their burial; at least she had their bodies unlike her father’s. She was planning on burying them in a peaceful place and she was going to make sure that their names will never be forgotten.

And then there was Ophelia's mind. What was Eliza going to do with her memories? Everyone involved with her died except one.

“Why aren’t you with your friends?” The blond came right at the most opportune moment, like always.

She turned around and linked her arms behind her.  
  
 “How can you have such good timing?”

Draco raised an eyebrow and walked to her, the Slytherin ring she gave him securely in his hand.

“I presume Potter left already?” He changed the subject and stopped in front of her.

Eliza blinked, her mother's memories placing her own life in a different perspective.  
  
“What will you do after it’s over? What will we do?" She asked.

“Don’t speak nonsense,” He hissed, “Voldemort will kill Potter and send us-“

She shook her head, “No, no, Malfoy. We both know that’s not the case anymore, not after you stayed back.”

The blond frowned, mostly because she was right and he’s been avoiding that.

“What will happen to us then?” He asked, looking down at her, waiting for her to give the solution.

“Maybe you should marry and have children after everything’s over. To each other or to different people, I don't judge." Vernon’s voice interrupted their discussion, the ginger man standing in the door frame, leaning on one of his legs.

“You did give me a ring.” Draco teased her but she didn't sketch a smile.

“Then give it back to me.” She commented coldly, reaching out for it.

It was a surprise when Draco placed it in her palm.

Vernon rolled his eyes and started to mumble something, grabbing the attention of Ron who called Hermione out. A few more students walked behind him.

“Only if the past woudn't interfere all the time, life would be easier.” Vernon muttered, referring to his own past. 

Ron’s eyes widened yet Hermione kind of saw it coming after the Yule Ball. The bond between Eliza and Draco was running deeper than it should and they were both aware there was a line they shouldn't cross.

“What happened?” Seamus asked, confused since he had not seen Eliza and Draco speak to each other properly before.

Hermione smiled softly, “A lot can happen in six months.” She mumbled, confusing Seamus even more.

* * *

“So, there will be a wedding after the war ends.” She flinched, surprised that George Weasley was speaking to her after his twin brother died.

“No, that would be inadequate. He only returned my ring, nothing else.” She answered, looking anywhere but his face, “I’m sorry for your loss, George.”

George chuckled and leaned back, “I’m sorry too. I heard Dolohov killed Remus and Bellatrix killed Tonks. It’s so messed up.”

Eliza nodded, “I guess. We should never let people forget them; they have been heroes and died like heroes.”

George nodded, biting the tears back, “Let’s hope Harry kills Voldemort once and for all.”

Eliza frowned and looked down at her fidgeting hands;  _once and for all_  didn’t sound well after Voldemort’s threat.

_“As long as you live, my blood will continue to flow through the world of the living. As long as you exist, there will always be a piece of me lurking in the darkness, waiting to be released.”_

She shuddered, hearing him hiss those words in her ear even now.

* * *

“They’re coming!” Someone alerted. 

With small steps, the living fighters walked into the courtyard, afraid of what they were about to see. Eliza kept close to the walls before Hermione grabbed her hand and nodded, encouraging each other.

“Who’s that Hagrid’s carrying? No, NO!” Ginny sounded broken. Hermione and Ron were just as bad. More voices screamed and cried while some even yelled profanities at the Death Eaters. 

Voldemort’s eyes trailed over every face before he stopped on Eliza’s green eyes; she looked bad, dirty and hurt. She chose the wrong side to fight for and he was angry that she betrayed him.

“SILENCE! It’s over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!” Voldemort announced, pleased that one of two has been done.

Ginny didn’t take it well at all; no one did. Eliza walked closer, her eyes narrowing at the body in Hagrid’s hands. It did look like Harry and Eliza grabbed Seamus hand when reality hit her. _It was over for them, for the whole world._

“Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!”

Eliza shuddered and leaned almost her entire body on Seamus. She was going to die and Voldemort will have access to her mind before sunrise. 

“He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds,” said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice for the lie, “killed while trying to save himself—”  
  
Eliza couldn't quite believe that and she wasn't the only one. Someone broke the silence and launched at the Dark Lord yet got immobilized fast.   
  
“And who is this?” he said in his soft snake’s hiss. “Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?”  
  
Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.  
  
“It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?”  
  
Bellatrix was having the time of her life, laughing louder than the rest. Eliza glanced at Draco but he wouldn’t look at her so she turned to Vernon, who was in the back leaning against Luna. He was frowning at everything happening in front of his eyes.   
  
“Well, Neville, I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks. You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.”  
  
“I’ll join you when hell freezes over,” said Neville.“Dumbledore’s Army!” he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort’s Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.  
  
“Very well,” The Dark Lord continued bemusedly before waving his wand, something flying through the window and straight into Voldemort's hand,  “There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won’t they, Neville Longbottom?”  
  
The snake pointed his wand at the boy, making him rigid like a rock before placing the hat over Neville's head, being so big that it fell over his eyes. Afterwards, he set it on fire. Screams erupted from Neville and Eliza was frozen in shock, like more students.   
  
Sudden noise came from afar before a yell came from the forest. Eliza's eyes widened and her whole body seemed to remember why she was there and what she was fighting for. It wasn't only about Harry, it was about all the lives Voldemort took and the pain brought to so many in the world.   
  
"The centaurs..." She heard Seamus mutter in awe.   
  
Indeed the commotion was granted to the centaurs, who joined the fight against evil. Then, something amazing happened. Neville moved and under everyone's eyes, he killed Nagini with the Gryffindor sword.  
  
"Where did he get it from?" Eliza whispered, regaining her balance and strength.   
  
"That-that was the last," Hermione mumbled, grabbing Eliza's wrist. "That was the last horcrux." She added, knowing that it didn't matter anymore if Eliza knew or not. 

Actually, now that she remembered, "Where is Harry?" She asked, not seeing the boy anymore at Voldemort's feet.   
  
Hagrid noticed it too but the fight already begun. Thestrals came out of nowhere and attacked the giants thus forcing the wizards inside the castle. Vernon found Eliza and pulled her closer, backing into the Entrance Hall. 

“Your chevalier abandoned us. I can't see him anywhere.” Peverell mumbled between fighting some nasty looking guy and trying to keep his balance with two wounded legs.

Eliza bit her lip and looked to her right before killing all of them in rage.

Vernon stopped and grinned sheepishly, “Remind me not to disappoint you; like ever,” He said seriously, pushing some strangers away before using transfiguration to change them into larvae.

“Where is Harry?” She asked through that awful mess; she couldn’t see anything with so many dark wizards surrounding them.

“Let’s make this easier,” Vernon told her to get back as his eyes glistened playfully, _“Incendio!”_ He screamed, the fire blasting from his wand being incredibly powerful; it actually took the shape of a dragon as it chased the wizards away, burning some of them.

“That guy is amazing!” She heard George scream while fighting a few feet from them.  
  
Eliza chuckled, “It kind of reminded me of your little joke during Umbridge’s reign.”  
  
George laughed and nodded, “Good times!”  
  
Eliza nodded and used several spells she learned from her father in order to trick her enemies before she ran to help George and Ginny.

“Remember Furvus? The cat you used to pick up girls during my second year at Hogwarts?”

George laughed and nodded, “What about him?”

Eliza pointed at the ginger man who was fighting against wizards like he was playing a game, chuckling to himself every time he would find mistakes in their technique.

“That’s Furvus!” She said, even Ginny gaping at the news, “His real name is Vernon Peverell.”

“Like in the three Peverell brothers?” Ginny asked, still startled.  
  
Eliza nodded and hit someone who was coming at Ginny from behind. Suddenly, she felt something flinch in her and she looked towards the Great Hall. Vernon saw  her lean on her knees and ran to her side.  
  
"The memories...they're echoing through my mind. Lillian, Ophelia, even dad, I can hear these voices screaming." She said before flinching once more.  
  
Vernon looked around and saw Voldemort backing off into the Great Hall. He looked scared and was giving directions to his followers.   
  
"He's weak and you can feel it. Ophelia's memories are merging with yours and it affects you just as much as it affects her." He explained, patting her softly while looking out for any Death Eaters.   
  
"Take her out then! Take her out of my mind!" Eliza hissed, glaring at Vernon.  
  
"I can't. No one can. I'm sorry. This is really old magic, very powerful too."   
  
Eliza gritted her teeth and tried to overcome the aftermath of knowing what she had been searching for. Breathing in and out slowly and regularly seemed to do the trick for the moment. Once she regained control, she felt Vernon pull her into the Great Hall. There, in the middle were Voldemort and Harry Potter. She couldn't hear what they were saying, not with all the wizards surrounding them, fighting. She saw Dolohov and rushed towards him but Professor Flitwick killed him before she could get there. Instead, she got hit when she jumped in front of Seamus.   
  
"Can you please just stay still? I can't take care of myself, thank you very much!" He screamed at her, not being seriously angry.   
  
Eliza chuckled, getting on her feet with his help. "I'm fine. This is quite fun, actually."   
  
Dolohov was dead. Bellatrix was dead as well thanks to Mrs. Weasley's temper and left was Voldemort himself. Harry was alive and he only had to kill him for the war to be over. Voldemort couldn't accept that a boy could have so much power, that he could overtake the great Dark Lord. But Harry's strength was in love while Tom's was in pride. Those two were so different and could either destroy or save but never both. That was the reason Tom Riddle became blind to what he could have. Lillian Gaunt loved him and then Ophelia Gaunt admired him and accepted him but he drove them away because he didn't want to be tied up to anyone. He was selfish and he paid for it.  
  
Eliza watched with wide eyes as Harry Potter succeeded.   
  
 **Voldemort was dead. The war was over and they won.**

* * *

“It hurts so bloody much~” Vernon whined as Madame Pomfrey adjusted his bandages.  
  
“Just like when you were a student, Peverell.” The nurse chuckled, helping him up once she was done.  
  
The ginger raised an eyebrow bemusedly, “Now, now, Poppy. I’m older than you.”

“You are older than everyone here without doubt,” Eliza stated loud enough for him to understand she wasn’t complimenting him, “You are fine unlike others.” She lowered her voice, glancing at the Weasley family who could finally mourn in peace.

“What will you do now? I see three blond heads but I'm not sure it's time for you to go there yet."  He said, blinking innocently.

She rubbed her neck and looked around before she shrugged, “I’m not sure that's bad. With everything that’s happened I would like to live a modest life for a while.”

“Modest life or muggle life?” Vernon questioned further, “If you need, I can accompany you Eliza.”

She scrunched her nose and shook her head, “You are a bit too handsome for your age. I’d appreciate someone who wouldn’t draw attention.”

He remained dumbstruck at her blunt opinion, “What-Are you-Even-“ He was speechless.

“There is enough time. At least now, I can live without being afraid of my past or Ophelia's past. It seems like I won't go crazy just yet."

She smiled at what was her former kitten and walked to Harry with a wide smile. Peace was finally settling in.


	52. Goodbye

One year passed faster than every year at Hogwarts combined. Maybe it was the new life or the fact that Voldemort was finally gone but the world seemed to have blossomed.   
  
Eliza has always loved Christmas because it was that one holiday family would gather and exchange presents. Of course, the term of family was a sensible subject for her but she was still alive and she wasn't going to waste it. Tonks was right; Sirius gave her a chance to a life of her own, not Gaunt and not Black - just Eliza. 

The morning of a white Christmas day has never felt so fresh before. Little Teddy was growing every day and just like she promised, she became the lovable aunt that was giving in to his every whim. 

She wasn’t sure what the others were doing but she knew of their whereabouts since they were still keeping in touch. It’s only been a year but she was adjusting to muggle life very fast. Hermione went back to Hogwarts to finish her education while Harry and Ron opted for standing back.   
  
Eliza was cooking cookies, trying not to use magic which was very tempting at the moment, when Willy landed on the window sill. She sighed and wiped her hands on her pink apron before taking the mail.  
  
"Hermione, Hermione, Harry, Mrs. Weasley?" Eliza raised an eyebrow and went on, "Seamus, Dean, Seamus again...isn't this the letter he said he sent  me a while ago?" She wondered, looking up at what was a very innocent looking Willy. "Let's see, it seems McGonagall is doing good work. Oh, what is this?" The brunette opened the small red letter and a loud familiar voice echoed through the whole house.  
  
" _Young lady! I know you said you don't want me nagging you but I heard from someone that there will be a gathering at The Burrow. Liz, what is The Burrow? I got an invitation for you too and you didn't respond! Don't lie -I personally placed it inside your house. Do your faithful kitten a favor and tell Mrs. Weasley you're coming. Also...well, you'll see..."_ Vernon's voice spoke loudly before the letter burned and turned to ashes.   
  
Eliza blinked and realized the letter burned and fell straight in the dough. She sighed and and gave up, using magic to let the cookies make themselves. 

Just like Harry and Ron, Eliza decided she wasn’t in need of education anymore. She learned everything she needed to know and if there was something she missed, there was always Vernon Peverell.  
  
Lucius Malfoy stopped any kind of contact and that was understandable. Ophelia's memories were slowly mixing up with Eliza's and sometimes it was hard to distinguish her life from Ophelia's but that was fine. She wasn't losing her mind just yet. 

The brunette walked out to grab the newspaper, as she had seen around the neighborhood and smiled at the children playing in the snow. They were trying to make snow angels but every time they were getting up, the wings looked like someone stepped over them. Eliza chuckled and swayed her fingers, making the footprints fade away and the snowman built on the lawn wink at the children. They awed and turned to each other in amazement.  
  
“You are surprisingly good with children.”

She froze, afraid that it was only her imagination.  
  
“Is there something else I should know?” The voice continued as he walked closer.  
  
Eliza turned around slowly trying her hardest not to vex him in front of the children.

“You bloody asshole, you haven’t sent me a letter, even _one letter_ to explain yourself.” She hissed.

She was mad and she had every right to be. Once the war ended, the Malfoys recovered fast and left.  
  
But Draco couldn’t pass checking out the slight changes in her looks; for example, she cut her long dark hair but it seemed to suit her, accentuating her bright green eyes as was the white sweater she was wearing.

“A lot has happened.” He admitted, standing there awkwardly, uncertain if he should hug her or not.

Eliza clicked her tongue, her eyes narrowing at the blond.

“What about your family?”

“They're fine. Father is trying to regain his pride but I have never seen my mother so relieved before.” He started, taking a step closer, "You seem to be doing well, too."

“I don't get many guests around here. I prefer to keep this life a secret between me and Vernon.” She responded as she walked back to her house, Draco following closely.

“Does he live with you?” He asked bluntly.

“No." She responded quickly, "His presence is overwhelming. I've been waiting for someone else to come and give me some explanations. Harry and Hermione said I am a fool for still wanting to have anything to do with you." She chuckled bemusedly at the memory.

“Are they right?”  
  
Eliza stopped and looked at him before she smiled widely, her eyes glistening,

“Definitely right. The Malfoys have been a constant pest for me and my mother.”  
  
Seeing the amusement in her eyes was enough for Draco to realize she was only half serious.   
  
"Oh! Did you tell Vernon you'll come here?" She asked him over her shoulder, leading him into the living room.   
  
"He told me where you are."   
  
Eliza chuckled to herself and remembered all those times Vernon led Draco to her during hard times.   
  
The world was definitely better without a certain Tom Riddle Jr and Eliza could finally look at her mother's face in pictures and feel nothing at all.   
  
Unfortunately, she wasn't sure for how long she could look in the mirror and recognize her face. Ophelia's mind was crawling up towards every nerve in Eliza's head. With every passing day, she was losing sight of who she was and what she wanted. Seeing Draco there, she was curious if the next time he will come she will remember him and everything they've been through.


End file.
